Johnson Is Lights-Out in Relief

Randy Johnson makes a great reliever too.

Johnson struck out 16, a major league record for a reliever, and came within four outs of combining with Curt Schilling on a no-hitter Thursday as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the San Diego Padres, 3-0, at San Diego in the completion of their suspended game.

The Padres salvaged a split of the two-game series by winning the regularly scheduled game, 8-4, ending a seven-game losing streak to Arizona.

The opener started Wednesday night with Schilling pitching two perfect innings, but it was suspended in the top of the third with Arizona leading, 1-0, after two electrical explosions knocked out the lights in left field.

Johnson was due to start Thursday’s regularly scheduled game, but since the Padres had their lineup loaded up with left-handed batters to face Schilling, Arizona Manager Bob Brenly moved up Johnson to begin the suspended game.

Johnson, who has won the last two National League Cy Young awards, had another memorable performance in what has become an oddball season in San Diego.

“By no means do I try to go out and strike people out,” said Johnson, who is 10th on the all-time list with 3,265 strikeouts. “It’s probably one of the hardest things to do, especially against major league hitters.

“But I got in a groove and Damian called a great game,” he said, referring to catcher Damian Miller.

Between games, about the only thing the Padres were thinking was, “Randy’s gone,” Ryan Klesko said.

In the regularly scheduled game, Kevin Jarvis (7-7) won his third consecutive start and Phil Nevin hit a two-run homer, his 25th.

Diamondback reliever Troy Brohawn was ejected after he hit Klesko with a pitch leading off the seventh, causing both benches and bullpens to empty. No punches were thrown, but Padre third base coach Tim Flannery and Diamondback pitching coach Bob Welch had to be separated a few times. Padre Manager Bruce Bochy led Klesko away from the scrum, then came back and was jawing at a Diamondback.

Florida 8, New York 3--Cliff Floyd and Derrek Lee hit home runs at New York as the Marlins ended the Mets’ season-best five-game winning streak.

Floyd, at first snubbed by Met Manager Bobby Valentine for the National League All-Star team, hit a three-run homer in the third inning that put the Marlins in front. Lee added a two-run shot in the sixth.

San Francisco 2, Colorado 1--Jeff Kent drew a bases-loaded walk after reliever Juan Acevedo intentionally walked Barry Bonds, capping a two-run ninth for the Giants at San Francisco.

Acevedo is zero for five in save chances. Colorado lost its fifth in a row.

Montreal 5, Philadelphia 2--Lee Stevens and Orlando Cabrera had run-scoring singles in a four-run eighth inning for the Expos at Montreal.

St. Louis 4, Houston 1--Mark McGwire hit a three-run homer, the 566th of his career, at Houston.

Pittsburgh 3, Chicago 2--Tike Redman hit the second home run of his career leading off the seventh inning at Pittsburgh to help the Pirates end a five-game losing streak.