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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
PHOENIX (AP) – Randy Johnson got 20 strikeouts but not the
glory.
|  | | Randy Johnson struck out 20 and walked none in nine innings, but didn't get a decision or major league record. |
Johnson became only the third pitcher to strike out 20 in nine
innings but missed out on tying the record because Arizona and
Cincinnati went to extra innings Tuesday night. The Diamondbacks
went on beat Cincinnati 4-3 in 11 innings.
"This was a game to put in a time capsule and let people of the
future watch it," Johnson said.
Johnson became the first left-hander to strike out 20, but
didn't join Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood, who share the record for
strikeouts in a nine-inning game.
The Elias Sports Bureau, baseball's statistician, said Johnson's
performance will be considered as occurring in an extra-inning game
even though he came out after nine.
The major league record for an extra-inning game is 21 by Tom
Cheney for Washington against Baltimore in a 16-inning game on
Sept. 12, 1962.
"I was asked if I wanted to go out there and saw no point in
going out there for the 10th inning," Johnson said. "I surely
could have went out there and done it, but what was the point in
going out there and throwing 10 innings? I really didn't see it."
Johnson wasn't disappointed, though. He wanted to turn the game
over to the bullpen.
"The outcome is what's important," he said.
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Kings of K
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Most strikeouts in a nine-inning game:
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K's
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Date
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Opp
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Kerry Wood
CUBS |
20
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5/6/98
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Astros
|
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Roger Clemens
RED SOX |
20
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9/18/96
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Tigers
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Roger Clemens
RED SOX |
20
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4/29/86
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Mariners
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Randy Johnson
MARINERS |
19
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8/8/97
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White Sox
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Randy Johnson
MARINERS |
19
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6/24/97
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A's
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David Cone
METS |
19
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10/6/91
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Phillies
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Nolan Ryan
ANGELS |
19
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8/12/74
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Red Sox
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Tom Seaver
METS |
19
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4/22/70
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Padres
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Steve Carlton
PHILLIES |
19
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9/15/69
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Mets
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Most strikeouts in an extra-inning game:
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Tom Cheney
SENATORS |
21
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9/12/62
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Orioles (16 IP)
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Randy Johnson
D-BACKS |
20
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5/8/01
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Reds (9 IP)*
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Luis Tiant
INDIANS |
19
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7/3/68
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Twins (10 IP)
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Nolan Ryan
ANGELS |
19
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6/14/74
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Red Sox (12 IP)
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Nolan Ryan
ANGELS |
19
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8/20/74
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Tigers (11 IP)
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Nolan Ryan
ANGELS |
19
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6/8/77
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Blue Jays (10 IP)
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* Johnson pitched nine innings but the game went 11
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Clemens struck out 20 for Boston against Seattle on April 29,
1986, and did it again for the Red Sox at Detroit on Sept. 18,
1996. Wood struck out 20 for the Chicago Cubs against Houston on
May 6, 1998.
Mark Grace, who hit a game-tying double in the 11th, played in
Wood's game.
"There really wasn't much difference," Grace said. "They both
had that electric slider going."
Center fielder Steve Finley has never seen a slider on a par
with Johnson's.
"It was ridiculous," Finley said. "You know, he throws that
batting-practice fastball 92 or 93, and there were a lot of times
tonight I thought he was throwing his fastball that speed, and it
was 98. It was so easy, with no effort, on any of his pitches,
sliders, everything."
Johnson threw 124 pitches, 92 for strikes, and walked none
before Byung-Hyun Kim relieved to start the 10th.
Johnson struck out the side in the fourth, seventh and eighth
innings, and fanned two batters in the first, second, third, fifth
and ninth. He struck out only one in the sixth.
The 37-year-old pitcher, known as the "Big Unit," won the last
two NL Cy Young Awards and the AL Cy Young in 1995.
He had 18 strikeouts in the first eight innings, then struck out
pinch-hitter Deion Sanders on three pitches leading off the ninth.
Johnson gave up a groundout to Donnie Sadler, then struck out
Juan Castro swinging. The pitcher raised his right arm in
celebration and tipped his cap as he walked off the field.
Bank One Ballpark put a "K" on the scoreboard for each
strikeout, but the board ran out of room before Johnson reached 20.
Additional "Ks" were then tacked on the side of the board, with
lights forming "20" in the middle.
Johnson struck out Barry Larkin and Alex Ochoa three times
apiece; and Castro, Pokey Reese, Chris Reitsma, Ruben Rivera,
Sadler, Kelly Stinnett twice each. He fanned Aaron Boone and
Sanders once.
Johnson, who struck out nine of his first 12 batters and eight
of his last nine, allowed three hits.
He had a perfect game going until Boone singled with one out in
the fifth. Boone stole second and scored when Rivera singled up the
middle. Cincinnati's third hit off Johnson was a sixth-inning
single by Sadler.
The Diamondbacks tied it on an RBI single by Reggie Sanders in
the sixth off Reitsma.
Cincinnati went ahead 3-1 in the 11th when Russ Springer loaded
the bases on two walks and an error, and Ochoa hit a two-run
sacrifice fly to deep center field off Troy Brohawn (1-1).
But Grace hit a two-run double and pinch-hitter Matt Williams
walked with the bases loaded in the bottom half off Danny Graves
(1-1), who blew a save for the second time in 11 chances.
Graves was philosophical about it, and couldn't help but admire
another pitcher's tour de force.
"It just wasn't meant to be tonight after what the Big Unit
did," Graves said. "Striking out 20 guys? You kind of think
there's no way we should win after the performance he had.
Congratulations to him, and it's too bad he didn't get the win out
of it."
Johnson had twice struck out 19 in a game for Seattle, on June
24, 1997, in a 4-1 loss to Oakland and that Aug. 8 in a 5-0 win
against the Chicago White Sox.
"I've struck out 19 before and lost, and I've struck out 19 and
won. I get a no-decision today, but the team won, and that's the
bottom line," he said.
The only other left-hander to reach 19 was Steve Carlton, who
did it against the New York Mets for St. Louis on Sept. 15, 1969 --
losing the game 4-3.
With 3,132 strikeouts, Johnson passed Bob Gibson (3,117) to move
into 11th place on the career list.
Ferguson Jenkins is 10th at 3,192. Nolan Ryan holds the record
with 5,714.
"The people that I'm in a category with now, I feel extremely
honored to be included in that category," Johnson said.
It was his sixth consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts
and seventh in his eight starts. He has 155 in his career, second
only to Nolan Ryan's 215.
Game notes
Cheney struck out batters in each of his last two innings
to reach 21, going the distance. ... Johnson is 39-19 since joining
the Diamondbacks for the 1999 season. ... The Reds stole 20 bases
in a row -- the longest streak in the majors since Arizona succeeded
on 20 straight last August -- before Rivera was caught stealing in
the fifth. C Damian Miller caught Rivera off first, and 1B Mark
Grace relayed the throw to second.
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Stark: No strikeout record? So what
Neyer: This may be just the beginning
RECAPS
Boston 12
Seattle 4
Cleveland 8
Kansas City 4
Detroit 5
Texas 4
Minnesota 2
NY Yankees 0
Oakland 8
Toronto 5
Tampa Bay 4
Baltimore 3
Chi. White Sox 2
Anaheim 0
Philadelphia 3
Houston 2
Milwaukee 4
Chicago Cubs 1
St. Louis 8
Pittsburgh 2
Colorado 12
NY Mets 4
Arizona 4
Cincinnati 3
San Diego 7
Atlanta 1
Florida 7
Los Angeles 6
San Francisco 9
Montreal 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 D-Backs catcher Damian Miller found it easy to direct Randy Johnson's 20-strikeout performance.
wav: 785 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau explains the official ruling for Randy Johnson's 20 strikeouts.
wav: 2550 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
D-Backs pitcher Curt Schilling predicted a big night for Randy Johnson, but not that big.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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