Johnson Is Too Overpowering for Pirates, 1-0

Randy Johnson pitched a five-hitter and struck out 13 to outpitch Jason Schmidt as the Arizona Diamondbacks closed out their season-opening homestand with a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Steve Finley singled with one out in the seventh inning, took third on Travis Lee’s bloop single to center and scored on Lenny Harris’ sacrifice fly.

Johnson (2-0) didn’t walk a batter and struck out the side in the third and eighth innings. He got his 26th shutout and 69th complete game.

Johnson also has 127 double-digit strikeout games, including both of his starts this season.

Schmidt gave up only four hits in seven innings, with five strikeouts and four walks.

Cincinnati 8, Chicago 7--Ken Griffey Jr. finally hit his first homer for the Reds in their win in 11 innings at Cincinnati.

Griffey was one for 23 before hitting a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

After Chicago took a 7-6 lead in the top of the 11th inning, Matt Karchner walked Griffey and third baseman Shane Andrews threw away Hal Morris’ bunt, enabling Griffey to score. Alex Ochoa won it with a single to right.

Danny Graves (2-0) got the win despite giving up Damon Buford’s RBI single in the top of the 11th.

St. Louis 11, Milwaukee 2--Rookie Rick Ankiel had 10 strikeouts in six innings and Mark McGwire led a six-homer attack at St. Louis.

Ankiel, 20, the second-youngest player in the majors (Rafael Furcal of Atlanta is 19), gave up three hits and walked three in his sixth career start. His previous career high was nine strikeouts on Sept. 9, 1999, at Atlanta.

McGwire’s three-run homer in the first inning was his 1,500th hit. More than one third (524) are home runs. McGwire, who had 135 homers the past two seasons, hit his first of the season Saturday.

Florida 7, Colorado 6--Preston Wilson hit a controversial two-run homer and Mike Lowell drove in four runs for the Marlins at Miami.

Wilson’s homer down the left-field line off Pedro Astacio in the first inning appeared to be foul by about six feet. But third base umpire John Shulock, in his first series at Pro Player Stadium, called it fair.

After Manager Buddy Bell and third baseman Terry Shumpert argued, plate umpire Ed Rapuano did not reverse the call. Lowell hit a three-run double in the fifth and had a home run in the eighth.

Montreal 2, San Diego 1--Hideki Irabu pitched seven strong innings at Montreal to rebound from a rough first National League outing.

Lee Stevens hit a bases-loaded single in the sixth to tie the score at 1-1 and Trace Coquillette walked to force in the go-ahead run.

Irabu made his first appearance against San Diego, the team he forced to trade his rights to the New York Yankees in April 1997.

After giving up six runs in two-plus innings in a 10-4 loss to the Dodgers in his Expo debut Tuesday, Irabu lowered his earned-run average from 27.00 to 7.00.

Atlanta 9, San Francisco 3--Bobby Bonilla had his first three-RBI game in nearly two years for the Braves at Atlanta.

Bonilla hit a home run in the fifth inning to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead and had a two-run single in the sixth. He is six for 14 (.429) with two homers and five RBIs. It was his first three-RBI game since May 6, 1998, when he was with Florida.

Philadelphia 3, Houston 2--Mickey Morandini’s two-out single in the eighth inning scored the decisive run for the Phillies at Houston.

Jay Powell walked Bobby Abreu to start the eighth. He retired the next two batters, but walked Mike Lieberthal. Morandini followed with a single to center and Abreu beat Roger Cedeno’s throw to the plate.