Johnson’s Return Spoiled by Padres

Randy Johnson was back on the mound and the scoreboard flashed 106 mph after he threw a fastball in the third inning.

Whoa, some kind of a big comeback for the Big Unit?

Nope. Just a glitch.

The Arizona ace pitched all right in his first start in 2 1/2 months, but his numbers in a 3-2 loss Sunday to the host San Diego Padres weren’t as dominating as has come to be expected of the five-time Cy Young Award winner.

Out since knee surgery on May 1, Johnson (1-3) said he exceeded his expectations by going six innings and throwing 100 pitches.

“I was a little erratic, but for the most part I felt like I kept us in the ballgame,” Johnson said.

“Everything feels great. How it’ll feel tomorrow, I don’t know.”

Johnson gave up two runs -- one earned -- and six hits. He walked two, struck out six and hit two batters.

His biggest mistake was giving up a score-tying home run to utility infielder Lou Merloni, who was facing the left-hander for the first time.

It was Merloni’s first homer in 143 at-bats, dating to Aug. 30 against Cleveland, when he was with Boston.

“I guess I made one mistake, and that was the home run,” Johnson said. “That essentially was the deciding factor of the game.”

Johnson, whose fastball was clocked between 91 and 96 mph, had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips and loose cartilage from his right knee.

Kevin Jarvis (3-2) outpitched Johnson to win his third consecutive start.

He gave up two runs and three hits in 7 1/3 innings.