Mussina wins 20th
Mike Mussina became the oldest pitcher to win 20 games in a season for the first time as the Yankees beat the Red Sox at Boston 6-2 Sunday in the opener of a rain-delayed day-night doubleheader.
“This is one of those things that I think will take a while to sink in,” said Mussina, who has won at least 18 games five other times.
Less than three months before his 40th birthday, Mussina (20-9) gave up three hits in six shutout innings in his final start of a season in which the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Previously, the oldest first-time 20-game winner was Jamie Moyer, who was 38 when he went 20-6 for Seattle in 2001.
Johnson two-hits Rockies
Randy Johnson knew this might be his final appearance with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Big Unit gave fans in the desert something to remember, throwing a two-hitter to lead Arizona to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies for his 295th career win.
Johnson walked one and struck out nine in his second complete game this season and the 100th of his career, more than any active pitcher besides Greg Maddux, with 109.
Lincecum’s 265 K’s lead majors
Giants ace Tim Lincecum matched his career high with 13 strikeouts to finish with a majors-best 265, and gave Cy Young Award voters an impressive final start to think about in San Francisco’s 3-1 victory over the N.L. West champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Lincecum (18-5) recorded strikeouts for the first nine outs of the game — the first time that’s happened since the Cubs’ Sid Fernandez did so on July 30, 1986, at the New York Mets.
Lincecum became the first pitcher in franchise history to lead the majors in strikeouts for a single season. The All-Star fanned 10 or more batters for the 11th time in his career and ninth time this year. That tied the San Francisco record he now shares with Jason Schmidt, who had nine games with 10 or more K’s in 2004.
Lincecum allowed four hits in seven innings and finished with a 2.62 ERA in 33 starts and 34 appearances spanning 227 innings.
Mets collapse, the sequel
Doomed by a dreadful bullpen that failed them again, the New York Mets completed their second consecutive September slide with a 4-2 loss to Florida that knocked them out of playoff contention in the final game at Shea Stadium.
New York (89-73) lost out to Milwaukee (90-72) for the N.L. wild card on the last day of the season.
The Mets brought in former greats from Tom Seaver to Dwight Gooden for closing ceremonies after the game that were sure to feel more like a funeral than a party.