Johnson Off, but so Is Springer

Randy Johnson wasn’t quite himself Friday night. Unfortunately for the Angels, Dennis Springer and his knuckleball reverted to form.

The Angels were back in a league of their own, playing the leader in a division they wish to possess, yet had nothing to build on after a 7-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners before 34,839 at Anaheim Stadium.

The Mariners hit three home runs, two off Springer, who has given up 13 in his last seven starts. That display of power disrupted Manager Terry Collins’ timetable considerably.

“We have to pick up one game, two games, three games right here,” Collins said. “If we come back from the All-Star break 8 1/2 out, that’s asking a lot for us.”

Instead, the Angels lost for the eighth time in 10 games and dropped 6 1/2 games behind the Mariners. It was an opportunity wasted against Johnson, who labored through seven innings but is now 9-1 against the Angels since 1992.

The Angels were coming off three losses in four games to the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies, giving them a 2-8 interleague record. It was hardly the right way to reintroduce themselves to the American League West Division leader, especially with Johnson on the mound.

Collins tried to give his team an edge by starting a lineup with eight right-handed batters--including Craig Grebeck, who went 0 for 2 and is now hitless in 21 at-bats against Johnson.

Still, left-handers may be hitting .306 against Johnson this season, but Collins knew where the advantage lay.

“The left-handers he’s facing are guys like Barry Bonds,” Collins said.

Johnson, though, lasted seven innings and was far from his overpowering self. He struck out four, only one after the second inning, and allowed six hits, including home runs in the fourth inning by Tim Salmon and Darin Erstad--who became the first left-hander this season and only the seventh ever to homer off Johnson.

Yet, each time the Angels seemed on the verge of something, Johnson wiggled out of it. The most glaring moment came in the seventh when Dave Hollins hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

“That’s why Randy Johnson is as good as he is,” Collins said. “He didn’t have his good stuff tonight and won. Guys like him are pitchers. He used his changeup and sinker more. Randy Johnson is more than just fastballs.”

Besides, the Angels’ problems were not so much at the plate as they were on the mound.

Home runs by Jose Cruz Jr., Edgar Martinez and Paul Sorrento--his sixth in the last eight games--gave Johnson plenty of cushion.

“We couldn’t keep the ball in the ballpark,” Collins said. “That was pretty much the bottom line tonight.”

The Angels may not have seen a typical performance from Johnson (12-2), but the Mariners did get a standard performance from Springer (4-3).

A week ago, Springer managed a push against Johnson, allowing only two runs in eight innings. He got a no-decision in a game won by the Mariners. This time, Springer was gone by the sixth inning.

“When that guy [Johnson] is going, you better get good pitching,” Collins said. “You better hold them down.”

Springer did through three innings, as he had done in Seattle on Sunday, but couldn’t sustain it.

Trouble started innocently enough. Springer walked Martinez to start the fourth, then got Sorrento to hit into a force play. Jay Buhner followed by dumping a single to center, Sorrento taking third.

Russ Davis hit a sacrifice fly to right and Sorrento barely beat Salmon’s throw to the plate. Catcher Todd Greene took the throw up the first base side, which didn’t allow him to block the plate.

Dan Wilson flared a single into right, scoring Buhner. Cruz then homered on a 3-and-1 fastball for a 4-0 lead.

“The knuckleball can be real nasty one inning, then the next inning it isn’t,” Collins said.

Springer lumped a couple of poor innings together. Martinez had a two-run homer in the fifth, measured at 427 feet, for a 6-2 lead.