Johnson handled hype, Sox with relative ease
NEW YORK -- It wasn't just a big unit. It was a whole course on how to beat the world champions on Opening Night at the Bronx.
The debut in pinstripes of Randy Johnson, a.k.a. the Big Unit, was a smashing success to the 54,818 fans who watched the newest Yankee rattle the Red Sox, 9-2, on a chilly and sometimes rainy night at Yankee Stadium.
There are 161 games to go, but if last night's opening effort was any indication, then Johnson may live up to the "Empire Strikes Back" spoof hung on one of the facades at Yankee Stadium where Johnson's mug is portrayed in "Darth Vader" gear.
This wasn't vintage Johnson, but the towering southpaw was dominating when he had to be, going six innings and holding the top three hitters in the Sox order (Johnny Damon, Edgar Renteria, and Manny Ramirez) hitless, including four strikeouts and a double-play ball.
Johnson struck out six and walked two in his 95-pitch effort. He had a good fastball, sometimes reaching the mid-90s, though he was still overpowering in the low-90s. Johnson took advantage of the Yankees offense, which provided him with a 6-1 lead through six innings when he gave way to the bullpen.
"It's nice to have the day over," said Johnson. "I was able to get a lot of things accomplished today with pitching my first game at Yankee Stadium, pitching against the Red Sox. I know that the weather is going to improve and some of the things I didn't do well will come along."
Johnson arrived to his locker in the Yankee clubhouse at 4:39 p.m. and pretty much kept to himself getting ready. He drew huge ovations from the crowd as he headed to the bullpen to work out and again when he took the mound.
Johnson had electric stuff in the first inning when he threw 14 pitches and struck out Renteria and Ramirez after getting leadoff man Damon to ground to second. Renteria had a tough time getting around on Johnson's fastball, managing to foul one ball back before Johnson caught him with a fastball for strike three.
It was interesting that Johnson didn't waste a pitch on an 0-and-2 count to Ramirez, freezing Boston's best hitter on an inside fastball for the whiff.
"I had a lot of adrenaline going in the first inning and really a lot of things weren't working except for my fastball," Johnson said. "Later I was able to get the curveball working and was able to get [David] Ortiz and Damon out with it."
The second inning was a bit different, but more because of the Red Sox' hitting prowess as opposed to mistakes made by Johnson. Ortiz led off and managed to get the meaty part of the bat on an inside fastball that normally chews up lefthanded hitters. Ortiz drove the ball to the right-field corner for a double and eventually scored on Jay Payton's clutch two-out single to left.
Johnson escaped earlier damage in the inning when left fielder Hideki Matsui robbed Kevin Millar of a home run when he leaped perfectly and gloved a ball that was ticketed for the first row. But if that was the worst of it, Johnson would take it. He threw six pitches in retiring the Sox in the third despite an error by first baseman Jason Giambi.
"I spoke to Matsui's Japanese interpreter and I told him, `How do you say awesome in Japanese? He said, `Psycho.' So I was calling Matsui `Psycho' after he made that catch," Johnson said.
By the fourth, his velocity was on the rise, as he hit 96 on one pitch to Payton, though he did give up a ground-rule double to Jason Varitek.
Johnson allowed a one-out double to Mark Bellhorn in the fifth, but fanned Damon and induced Renteria to ground weakly to short to end the inning.
Johnson retired the first two batters in the sixth, freezing Ramirez on a slider over the plate and getting Ortiz to ground to shortstop. He temporarily lost his control and walked Millar on four pitches, the last three low or in the dirt. After he allowed a single to Varitek, Johnson got Payton, his final batter, to ground to second, forcing Varitek at second.
