Johnson, M’S Top White Sox

With only three spring starts because of baseball’s strike, Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners wondered out loud in April if he would get off to a slow start.

Not to worry. The game’s premier strikeout pitcher fanned 11 in seven innings Friday night as the Seattle Mariners ended a three-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

“I busted my butt during the off-season,” Johnson (3-0) said. “It’s nice to have it pay off because a lot of players who work hard don’t always have success. I lifted weights and I gained 10 pounds. I ran and I threw a lot. So I put myself to be in a position to be where I am right now.”

So where is Johnson in relation to every other pitcher in baseball?

“He’s the best pitcher in baseball,” Mariners manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s come so far in the three years I’ve been here. He throws strikes. He gets all his pitches over. There isn’t a pitcher I’d rather have out there with a lead than Randy.”

Johnson is stronger than ever, the White Sox said.

“The difference between Randy now and Randy before is his velocity gets better as the game goes along,” Tim Raines said.

Chicago manager Gene Lamont said Johnson’s improved slider has made his 98 mph fastball even seem faster.

“He had a good slider tonight,” Lamont said. “Mix that with a great fastball, that makes him really tough.”

Edgar Martinez and Tino Martinez homered for the Mariners. Rookie Ray Durham had a career-high four hits and drove in three runs for Chicago, which had won three in a row.

Tim Raines of the White Sox tied an A.L. record with his 32nd straight stolen base. He matched the mark shared by Willie Wilson and Julio Cruz; Vince Coleman holds the major-league mark with 50.

Johnson allowed an RBI single to Durham after a double by Mike Devereaux in the second inning. It was only the third earned run scored against Johnson in four starts this season.

He struck out two-time A.L. MVP Frank Thomas twice and walked him once. Durham had three of the five hits off Johnson.

Because of the dominating presence of the 6-foot-10 left-hander, the Mariners know they’re going to avoid too many losing streaks. Johnson tries to avoid thinking about that. “There’s enough pressure on you without having to think about that,” he said.

He was in the Mariners’ dressing room watching the game on TV when the White Sox rallied. It was a nervous time.

“Things did get a little exciting, didn’t they?” Johnson said.

Durham got his fourth hit, a two-run single, as the White Sox scored three times in the eighth off Bobby Ayala. Bill Risley pitched the ninth for his first major-league save.

The Mariners, who lost nine of 10 games against the White Sox last season, ended an eight-game Chicago winning streak in the Kingdome dating to May 11, 1993.

Seattle scored three unearned runs against Wilson Alvarez (1-2) in the first inning after shortstop Craig Grebeck’s throwing error on Rich Amaral’s leadoff grounder. Ken Griffey Jr. singled home Amaral, and Edgar Martinez hit his fourth homer of the season.