 |
 |   |
|
Help wanted Johnson looking for some support from D'backs offense
Posted: Wednesday May 17, 2000 05:03 AM
By Ryan Hunt, CNNSI.com Randy Johnson is one of those pitchers that only needs one or two runs from his offense to win a game. Someone needs to relay that message to the Arizona Diamondbacks hitters. Arizona was shut out 2-0 by the Montreal Expos on Tuesday, costing Johnson a chance at his eighth win of the season. It marked the fifth time the Diamondbacks were blanked when the "Big Unit" was on the hill since the start of the 1999 season. In that same span, Arizona has been shut out only twice in the other 156 games in which Johnson has not pitched. Those five shutouts represent exactly half of his losses with the D'backs. Of course, four of those came in the mind-boggling two-week span in which Arizona had the silent-bat cycle -- the Diamondbacks were no-hit, one-hit, two-hit and three-hit in consecutive Johnson starts, all losses.
It started the pattern of no support for Johnson. In his past seven losses, which dates to last June 25, Arizona has scored a total of two runs and had a mere 20 hits. But he should be used to the lack of support by now. Johnson has made 44 starts for Arizona. The Diamondbacks have scored three or fewer runs when Johnson starts 17 times -- a whopping 38 percent of his total starts. Amazingly, he's still been able to win five of those starts, including three this season. But he's also probably lost a chance at many victories because of a lack of offense. Johnson won 17 games last season -- and did not win on 12 occasions despite allowing two or fewer earned runs. This season, he won his first seven starts. But in his past two, he's allowed a mere two earned runs in 17 innings, and has a no-decision and a loss to show for it. Easily, Johnson could be 9-0. Easily, Johnson could have won 25, possibly as many as 29, last year. Maybe now we know we we're seeing the improved Johnson at the plate. After all, he's driven in four runs this season, exactly half the total of earned runs he's allowed in 74 1/3 innings.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
