Johnson's struggles loom large

May 10, 2006|Jackie MacMullan

NEW YORK -- Catcher Jorge Posada was in the corner of the subdued Yankees clubhouse informing reporters there was nothing wrong with Randy Johnson's velocity.

''He threw one pitch 101 miles per hour tonight," Posada insisted.

''No, that wasn't me," Johnson deadpanned. ''Must have been a faulty gun."

The rest of the Yankees might be able to shake off last night's humiliating 14-3 loss to the Red Sox, but it's not so simple for the Big Unit. This was the third straight outing in which he struggled with his command, and that's a major problem for the Bronx Bombers. If the Yankees have any plans on making a run at a world championship, they need their ace to pitch like one.

It hasn't happened lately. Although Johnson was credited with wins in three of his last five starts, that was more a testament to New York's potent lineup than his stellar pitching. In those starts, he's given up 26 runs and walked 14 batters.

Like most everyone else in the American League, Johnson is worshipping at the altar of the hapless Baltimore Orioles. His last truly quality start was when he held the Birds to three hits and one run April 23. Since then, he's given up six runs to Toronto (but won, 17-6), five runs to Tampa Bay (but won, 10-5), and now seven to the Sox.

''Today it looked like I didn't have a clue," said Johnson, who lasted only 3 2/3 innings before he was booed off the mound, even though five of the runs charged to him were unearned. ''I was throwing balls to the backstop. I was overthrowing everything."

Manager Joe Torre conceded these are troubling times for the large lefthander with the extra-large contract. This was Johnson's shortest outing against the Red Sox since September 1991, and he walked five batters for the first time in almost four years.

''It looked like he was [having trouble with] his release point," Torre said. ''He was all over the place. The tipoff is when your eighth and ninth players score four runs."

Asked if he was concerned about Johnson's confidence, Torre replied, ''If his confidence is shaken by something like this, then he's certainly not worthy of what we think of him. I don't expect that to be an issue."

Johnson was hardly alone wearing the pinstripes of shame on this evening. Alex Rodriguez booted two balls. Melky Cabrera, who earned a callup to the big club when outfielder Gary Sheffield was placed on the 15-day disabled list, lost track of Manny Ramírez's fly ball to right in the fourth.

Manny was engaged in an epic at-bat against Aaron Small that featured 12 pitches, including six fouled off by Ramírez with a two-strike count. Had Cabrera made the catch, the Yankees would have been out of the inning. Instead, two runs scored, and Boston increased its lead to 7-2.