Johnson Fires 2nd 19-K Win Ace Records 17th Career Shutout As Mariners Drop White Sox 5-0

Nobody, not even Roger Clemens, has done what Randy Johnson has done in 1997. For the second time this season, Johnson struck out 19 batters.

Johnson matched the major league record for left-handers he had tied earlier this season, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-0 Friday night.

“I got close once again to Clemens’ record,” Johnson said. “Tonight was a special night.”

Johnson (16-3), who fanned 19 in a loss to Oakland on June 24, struck out Frank Thomas and Albert Belle three times each. The 6-foot-10 Johnson struck out three in the ninth inning, ending the game in style by getting a swinging Darren Lewis on three pitches.

Johnson pitched a five-hitter, allowing only five balls out of the infield in his 17th career shutout.

Steve Carlton is the only other lefty besides Johnson to strike out 19, doing it in 1969 for St. Louis against the New York Mets.

Clemens holds the major league record of 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game. He did it for Boston in 1986 against Seattle, and fanned 20 last year for the Red Sox against Detroit.

Manager Lou Piniella wanted to take Johnson out after eight innings when his pitch count was 137. Johnson talked his way back out to the mound and needed a dozen more pitches.

“I went out there against Lou and the pitching coach (Nardi Contreras) and the trainers’ advice not to because I had a lot of pitches,” Johnson said. “But once again, I don’t have opportunities like this.

“I remember one time when I struck out 18 in Texas and I had 160-odd pitches after eight innings,” he added. “Nolan Ryan said, ‘Things like that don’t come across very often. You never know when something like that’s going to happen.”’

Said Piniella: “It wasn’t much of an argument. I told him basically he had 135 or so pitches going into the ninth inning. He said, ‘Let me get out there.’ We had (Paul) Spoljaric warmed up just in case he got in any trouble.”

How dominating was Johnson?

“He made his pitches when he needed to and he made us chase it when he wanted to,” Thomas said. “He was very overpowering. He was outstanding and he was nasty.”

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 35th home run - and the second in two nights - for the Mariners in the seventh inning and Seattle regained first place in the A.L. West as Anaheim lost to Baltimore 6-2.

Rookie Chris Clemons (0-2) was the losing pitcher.

Johnson leads the majors with 243 strikeouts. He fanned 10 or more for the 80th time in his career, including 12 times this season.

Johnson looked sharp and rested after pitching six innings in a 6-5 win over Milwaukee in his previous start Sunday.