Johnson Stands Tall in 6-3 Win

Randy Johnson has a good memory, so the Dodgers figured the most dominant pitcher in the major leagues would have extra incentive Friday night in the first game of a series between the National League West’s top teams.

The Big Unit left his last start infuriated after squandering a big early lead to the Dodgers, and he released his anger with a workmanlike performance in a 6-3 victory at Dodger Stadium.

A sellout crowd of 54,252 was divided between the action on the field and the events at Staples Center, many fans using radios and small TVs to stay in tune with every play in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings.

Johnson was focused on the Dodgers, and it showed.

The 6-foot-10 left-hander wasn’t as overpowering as usual, giving up six hits and striking out only four with a walk in an effective eight-inning, 107-pitch outing. Marquis Grissom provided the Dodgers’ runs with a three-run home run in the seventh--his seventh this season and third against Johnson in two games. The runs, though, were unearned because of third baseman Craig Counsell’s error. Closer Byung-Hyun Kim pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

The Diamondbacks turned three double plays behind Johnson (9-1), helping him win for the third time in his last four starts.

“He’s the best pitcher in baseball, and we had success against him the last time, which is a rare thing,” right fielder Shawn Green said. “He’s the kind of pitcher who likes to come out and turn the tables quickly once a team has success against him.”

Johnson did that, taking command from the outset after getting a frustrating no-decision last Sunday in the Diamondbacks’ 10-9, 10-inning victory at Bank One Ballpark. The four-time Cy Young award winner failed to preserve a 4-0 lead in the first inning, giving up eight hits--including three home runs--and seven earned runs in five innings.

“He doesn’t need an extra something, but he’s got a very good memory,” Manager Jim Tracy said of Johnson. “He’s obviously one of the premier guys in the business, and guys like that, after an outing like he had last Sunday, normally like to try to rebound as soon as possible.”

The division-leading Diamondbacks (34-20) batted around in the fourth, scoring five runs on six hits, the big blow being Greg Colbrunn’s three-run double. Counsell, a former Dodger, also contributed a two-run single in the inning, helping Arizona improve to 3-1 against the Dodgers (31-23).

Omar Daal (4-1) had a rough outing, getting pounded for 10 hits and six earned runs in six innings. The left-hander, beginning his second rotation stint in place of the injured Kevin Brown, had easily his worst performance since joining the club.

Daal, whose versatility has been a key to the Dodgers’ strong start, gave up more earned runs Friday than he had in his first 41 innings. His earned-run average increased from 0.88 to 1.91.

“He pitched a hell of a lot better than his numbers indicate,” Tracy said. “He deserved better than he got.”

The Diamondbacks got started quickly against Daal, staking Johnson to a 1-0 lead in the first on Jose Guillen’s two-out, run-scoring single to shallow center.

Steve Finley and Damian Miller had consecutive singles to start the fourth inning and advanced on Tony Womack’s sacrifice bunt. After Johnson struck out, Counsell singled up the middle past diving second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, extending the lead to 3-0.

Junior Spivey singled through the hole at short, putting runners at first and second and prompting pitching coach Jim Colborn to visit the mound. Daal continued to struggle after his chat with Colborn, giving up an infield single to Luis Gonzalez.

Enter Colbrunn.

With the bases loaded, he sent a shot off the Dodger bullpen fence that rolled into shallow left. By the time Brian Jordan retrieved it, Colbrunn had a bases-clearing double and the Diamondbacks led, 6-0.