A Striking Performance for Johnson

While Randy Johnson didn’t get the win, he did enough to give the Arizona Diamondbacks another win.

Johnson left a tie game after giving up only two hits through seven innings and pinch-hitter Danny Bautista singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth Thursday night to lead the Diamondbacks over the Montreal Expos, 2-1, at Montreal.

“We had great contributions from a lot of people in this ballgame tonight, first and foremost, Randy,” Diamondback Manager Bob Brenly said. “I don’t know how you could pitch much better than he did tonight, and unfortunately, once again, we just couldn’t get any points on the board for him and get him a win.”

Johnson struck out 11 to raise his total to a major league-leading 72, six more than Boston’s Pedro Martinez.

It was Johnson’s fifth consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts, the 154th of his career.

“Obviously my job is to win ballgames,” Johnson said. “When I go out there and I don’t get the win, but we still won, then I still did my job.”

Montreal’s Mike Thurman gave up only five hits in seven innings, lowering his ERA from 5.52 to 4.71.

“Thurman’s been really sharp his last five outings,” Expo Manager Felipe Alou said. “Their guy was awesome today. We did the best we could. We made it well over 100 pitches and he had to leave after the seventh.”

Johnson threw 70 of 118 pitches for strikes.

“I just go out there and do the best I can,” Johnson said. “Every pitcher that I go up against throws well. It doesn’t matter if I’m throwing against Sandy Koufax or whoever. Every fifth day I go out there, it seems like they’re on top of their game, so I’ve got no room for error.”

With the score 1-1 in the ninth, Graeme Lloyd (2-1) walked Mark Grace, who advanced on Reggie Sanders’ sacrifice.

Craig Counsell pinch-ran for Grace and, after Steve Finley struck out, scored when Bautista hit the first pitch he saw from Lloyd for a single to center.

Pittsburgh 4, San Francisco 3--Aramis Ramirez hit two homers and Enrique Wilson, not in the original lineup, singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth as the Pirates rallied from three runs down at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates stopped losing streak at four and kept the Giants from being the first visiting team to sweep a three-game series in PNC Park.

The Giants became the last team in the majors to face a left-handed starter when Jimmy Anderson started for Pittsburgh, and Barry Bonds promptly greeted him with a two-run homer in the first. Bonds’ 12th homer in 18 games also was his second in as many nights.

The Giants’ starting outfield was Bonds, 36, in left; Shawon Dunston, 38, in center and Eric Davis, 38, in right.

San Diego 5, Chicago 3--Rickey Henderson hit a solo homer and Bobby Jones held the Cubs to three hits in seven innings at Chicago.

Mark Kotsay and Ryan Klesko added run-scoring singles, and Ben Davis drove in another run with a groundout for San Diego, which has won five of seven.

Cub pitcher Kerry Wood (1-2) got off to an impressive start, striking out four of his first five batters. But he got a little wild in the third inning, and was pulled after throwing 112 pitches in five innings.

Three days shy of the three-year anniversary of his 20-strikeout game, Wood gave up three runs and five hits in five innings.

He struck out seven, but walked five and hit one batter.

The Cubs did have one bright spot, with Tom Gordon making his first appearance in a regular-season game since Oct. 3, 1999. Gordon, coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery, pitched the ninth. He struck out two and gave up one hit.

Philadelphia 7, Colorado 5--Bobby Abreu’s bases-loaded walk forced in the go-ahead run, and Travis Lee added a two-run homer for the Phillies at Philadelphia.

Doug Glanville, dropped from the leadoff spot to No. 7, had two RBIs, and Mike Lieberthal had three hits and scored three runs as the Phillies improved to 16-11.

Philadelphia, which tied the Chicago Cubs for worst record in the majors last year, is in first place in the NL East this late in the season for the first time since 1995.

Amaury Telemaco (3-0) gave up two runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out four, walked three and constantly pitched out of trouble.

Rockies’ starter Pedro Astacio (3-2) didn’t allow a hit in the first four innings, but couldn’t get out of the fifth.

He gave up three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

St. Louis at Florida, rain--The game at Miami never started and was postponed after a delay of 1 hour, 45 minutes. It was the final night of the Cardinals’ only scheduled visit to Miami.