Big Unit fastest to 4,000 Ks
Randy Johnson reached 4,000 career strikeouts and still couldn’t change the Arizona Diamondbacks’ luck.
The Big Unit struck out eight to join Nolan Ryan (5,714), Roger Clemens (4,200) and Steve Carlton (4,136) as the only pitchers to fan 4,000 batters, but the Diamondbacks lost their franchise-record 11th straight game, 3-2 to the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.
Johnson (9-6) reached the milestone the quickest by striking out Jeff Cirillo for the second out of the eighth. He got there in 3,237 1/3 innings, a strikeout-to-inning ratio of 11.12. None of the others had a double-figure ratio, with Ryan’s 9.55 the next-best based on 3,844 2/3 innings.
Khalil Greene homered off Johnson with one out in the eighth, providing the winning margin for the Padres, who won for the seventh time in eight games.
Johnson threw three sliders to Cirillo to reach a 2-1 count before blowing a fastball by him to make it 2-2. After missing with a slider to run the count full, Johnson got his eighth strikeout of the game with an 87 mph slider low on the outside corner as Cirillo took a half-swing.
Johnson, whose 196 double-digit strikeout games are second only to Ryan’s 215, allowed three runs on four hits in eight innings.
Brian Sweeney (1-0) held the Diamondbacks to one run on four hits and a walk in his first major league start after seven relief appearances.
Trevor Hoffman worked the ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances.
Braves, Marlins had long night
Marlins right-hander Brad Penny was nearly finished with his pregame warmups when the rain first started to fall at Turner Field.
The tarp came out for what was supposed to be a brief shower. Three hours later, it finally stopped raining and the first pitch was thrown at 10:55 p.m.
“That’s a first, waiting that long,” Penny said Tuesday, a day after the Marlins and the Atlanta Braves played into the early hours.
The Braves scored five runs off Penny in five innings and won 6-1 — with the final out recorded at 1:24 a.m.
“It was tough,” Penny said. “I was a little stiff and didn’t start to get loose until the last couple of innings, but that’s what happens.
“When someone keeps a game going like that, there’s only one thing they’re interested in, and that’s probably the gate. They don’t care about anyone’s health.”
The announced crowd of 31,969 was at about 5,000 when Atlanta starter John Thomson finally took the mound. Fans were allowed to fill up all the seats down near the field, and they stayed boisterous throughout.
“That’s why we played, for the people who were here,” Braves catcher Eddie Perez said.
Giambi diagnosed with internal parasite
Ailing Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi was diagnosed with an intestinal parasite and out of the starting lineup when New York played Boston.
The Yankees didn’t specify the parasite Giambi had, and he said he couldn’t remember the name the doctor told him.
“I don’t have a Ph.D. and I’m not world renowned,” Giambi said.
The former AL MVP said he’d been feeling exhausted for about three weeks. He began taking a new set of antibiotics Tuesday and said a doctor told him he should feel better within a couple of days.
Kearns out another month
Austin Kearns needs surgery to remove scar tissue from his aching right thumb, sidelining the Cincinnati Reds outfielder for another four to six weeks.
Kearns developed a sore spot on the inside of the thumb last month, eventually forcing him onto the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season.
•Ken Griffey Jr. was scratched from the Reds’ starting lineup because of cramps in his left calf. He pinch-hit in the ninth and singled.
Clearing the bases
The Rockies designated right-hander Kevin Jarvis for assignment and shifting Jeff Fassero to the bullpen. The Rockies also called up catcher J.D. Closser. … Giants right-hander Jerome Williams missed his scheduled start against the Dodgers because of mild tendinitis in his shoulder. … The Orioles put right fielder Jay Gibbons on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hip flexor. … The White Sox designated left-handed reliever Vic Darensbourg for assignment.