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Johnson, Yankees dominate Indians

Five-time Cy Young Award winner picks up 273rd career win

Image: Randy JohnsonReuters
Randy Johnson allowed three runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings to earn his 10th win of the season.

CLEVELAND - Old Man Johnson looked like a youngster for seven innings. He didn’t show his age until the eighth.

Randy Johnson, at times as dominant as he has been all season, worked into the eighth and Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter both had three RBIs, leading the New York Yankees to a 10-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.

Johnson (10-7) allowed three runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings. The five-time Cy Young Award winner picked up his 273rd career win, moving him into a tie for 30th place with Red Ruffing.

In his first start at Jacobs Field since 1998, Johnson walked none and struck out five. He took a 10-1 lead into the eighth before tiring, but improved to 13-4 in his career against the Indians.

Johnson reminded reporters that he’s not the pitcher he once was.

“I’m 42 years old, so I’m happy just to win games,” Johnson said, directing more than a hint of sarcasm at New York reporters. “We all know that I’m really old. I’m not happy.”

It was a better outing than his last start against Cleveland on June 14, when Johnson was ejected in the seventh inning of a 6-1 win for throwing at former Cleveland first baseman Eduardo Perez. The next day, Major League Baseball slapped him with a five-game suspension.

This time, Johnson dealt the punishment.

“He was terrific,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “He gave us what we needed and we gave him some runs to work with.”

Still, Johnson was not completely pleased with his outing.

“I’m not happy,” he said. “It went from two hits to seven, from one run to four. I could be content with that, but I’m competitive.”

The Yankees split the four-game series, winning the final two after dropping the opener and then losing 19-1 on Tuesday night, matching the second-most lopsided defeat in New York’s storied history.

Giambi hit a two-run homer in the first off Cliff Lee (8-6) and Jeter had two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly.

Lee lost for the first time in seven starts since May 29, allowing four earned runs and 10 hits in six innings. He was hurt by Cleveland’s defense, which had two errors and has allowed 10 unearned runs in the past three games.

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Manager Eric Wedge has run out of patience.

“My frustration level is off the map,” Wedge said. “It’s about one one-hundredth of what you’re seeing. I’ve yelled. I’ve talked. I’ve reasoned. I’ve taken about every approach I can take.

“There are no excuses. I don’t care if 100 mph wind comes blowing at you when you’re hitting, that’s your responsibility. If you made an out, you made an out. I’ve heard things this season that I think are pathetic. I don’t mind saying it. I’ve told them the same thing.”

Jason Michaels homered for the Indians, who went 3-4 against New York and haven’t won a season series against the Yankees since 1992.

For the first four innings, Johnson, who pitched a perfect game on May 18, 2004, for Arizona, looked like he might flirt with another. Torre wasn’t the only one with visions of an historic night.


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