Johnson No 2-6 Kind of Pitcher

Randy Johnson’s pitching resume is replete with records.

He has led the league in strikeouts eight times. He has won the earned-run average title three times. . His average of 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings this season was the best in major league history and he barely missed Nolan Ryan’s record for strikeouts in a season.

But there’s one record Johnson could do without. That’s his lifetime 2-6 mark in postseason games.

“I know what I am,” said Johnson, who will face St. Louis today in Game 2 of the National League division series. “I am 2-6. But I don’t think [critics] look very deep into the numbers. I’m not afraid to say that other than two postseason games, I’ve pitched pretty well.”

Make that very well. Six of Johnson’s nine playoff appearances rank as quality starts--six innings or more, three runs or fewer. He also had a quality relief outing for Seattle in 1995, considering he struck out six Yankees in the three innings on one day of rest.

His only subpar starts were for Seattle in 1997--five innings, five runs--and for the Diamondbacks against the Mets in Game 1 of the 1999 division series. He left that game with the score tied, 4-4, in the ninth inning and the bases loaded. Bobby Chouinard then gave up a grand slam to Edgardo Alfonzo.

“That’s ancient history,” Arizona Manager Bob Brenly said. “I think Randy is a completely different pitcher than he has been at any other point in his career.”

Johnson struck out 372 batters this season and went 12-1 in his last 18 starts. Plus, he’s well rested, having last started eight days ago in a 10-1 victory over the Rockies.

“I feel good,” Johnson said.

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Woody Williams lasted no more than six innings in any of his first five starts after being traded from San Diego to St. Louis on Aug. 2. And that bugged him.

“He said he was very disappointed he left that many outs in the game,” Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa said. “A lot of guys say that because they’re supposed to, but this guy means it. He gets sharper and sharper until he runs out of gas.”

Williams, who will start Game 2, averaged eight innings over his final six starts. He was 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA after the trade.

“With all due respect to Arizona and their two guys,” La Russa said, “I don’t concede anything as far as an edge in the starting rotation whatsoever.”

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Teddy Greenstein is a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune.