Johnson Too Much for Dodgers

The way Carlos Perez figured it, if he could beat a four-time Cy Young Award winner he’d have more than a fighting chance against a two-time Cy Young honoree.

But while Perez outlasted Greg Maddux earlier this year, he would have no such luck against Randy Johnson Wednesday night. The “Big Unit” did more than enough for his Arizona Diamondbacks to beat the Dodgers, 5-1, in front of 27,332 at Dodger Stadium in the third game of a four-game series.

Despite the outcome, Johnson didn’t seem to bring his best stuff.

“I’ve seen Randy more dominating,” Dodger Manager Davey Johnson said, “but he was still awfully good. My lefty [Perez] did a pretty good job--five runs in seven innings. But against Randy Johnson, that’s just not going to cut it.”

Johnson (11-1), who leads the major leagues in victories, finished with 11 strikeouts, marking the 136th time in his career he has had 10 or more strikeouts in a game, second to Nolan Ryan’s 215.

None of it would have mattered, however, had the Dodgers gotten to Johnson in the second inning, when they loaded the bases with none out and could muster but one run.

“That was obviously the big inning,” Johnson said. “Thankfully, [the Dodgers] only got one run.

“I felt pretty good and comfortable out there. I kind of got into a rhythm after that inning.”

Arizona Manager Buck Showalter agreed.

“He had control of the inner half of the plate,” Showalter said of Johnson.

Johnson, who missed a start two turns ago with soreness in his pitching shoulder, gave up five hits while walking two and hitting a batter in his 119 pitches, 72 of which were strikes.

Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim threw a scoreless ninth to pick up his 10th save, his second of the series.

Perez, who had not been on the losing end of a decision in a month, took the loss Wednesday to fall to 4-3. He gave up five runs on 11 hits while striking out four. He did not walk a batter.

“I was having a little problem with my split-finger [fastball],” said Perez, who last lost on May 14, a 12-10 defeat by the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. “The last time I faced Arizona, I used a lot of breaking balls. They were looking for it tonight and they hit me good.

“After the fifth inning, I changed,” he added. “But it was too late.”

Dodger relievers Onan Masaoka and Antonio Osuna each pitched an inning of scoreless relief.

With the loss, the Dodgers (34-29) remained in third place and fell four games behind the National League West Division-leading Diamondbacks (39-26).

The Dodgers’ record at home fell to a lackluster 15-15.

Two innings--the second and fifth--and one pitch--his splitter-- were Perez’s undoing.

The Diamondbacks tagged Perez with three runs in the second inning.

Greg Colbrunn started things off with a solo home run deep into the left-field pavilion on a 1-and-2 splitter from Perez.

Danny Bautista followed with a double and he scored on Damian Miller’s single, Miller advancing to second on center fielder Shawn Gilbert’s throw to the plate.

Tony Womack then singled Miller home for the 3-0 lead.

The Dodgers responded in their half of the second but could not break it open, even with the bases loaded and none out.

Paul LoDuca’s slicing single to right field drove in Eric Karros, who had walked to begin the inning. LoDuca, who was called up from triple-A Albuquerque on June 2, went two for four to raise his batting average to .353. The catcher also threw out Womack attempting to steal second base in the fifth inning.

But with the bases still loaded, Johnson struck out Perez and Gilbert before getting Mark Grudzielanek, whose nine-game hitting streak came to an end, to fly out to right to end the threat and the inning.

The Dodgers had another chance to get to Johnson in the third after Gary Sheffield doubled with one out. But Johnson struck out Karros and Kevin Elster.

Matt Williams hit a two-run homer in the fifth for Arizona.

Head to Head

Dodgers vs. Arizona this season:

Record: 1-5

Runs scored: 24

Runs allowed: 38

Batting avg.: .263

Ariz. batting: .295

ERA: 6.13

Ariz. ERA: 3.70

*

Reliever of Sub-Stance

Diamondbacks’ Byung-Hyun Kim has baffled hitters with his submarine-style delivery. D6