Arizona Diamondbacks

Randy Johnson doesn't really care about milestones, statistics or his place in history. Not even the biggies awe him. That's OK. The rest of the Arizona Diamondbacks are impressed enough by what he's doing to make up for him. "I don't think anybody assumes to take lightly what he's able to do," Arizona manager Buck Showalter said. "Guys like him don't come your way very often. " Only twice before in modern baseball history, to be exact. Johnson became just the third pitcher to win six games in April, striking out 11 and giving up five hits over seven innings yesterday as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago Cubs, 6-0. The 1999 NL Cy Young winner also won his last three decisions last year, giving him a nine-game winning streak.

Praise the off day. Phillies relief pitchers had a chance to rest yesterday after a 14-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, and after a busy week in which they threw 27 1/3 innings in just six days. Phillies manager Larry Bowa said Sunday that the Phillies might need 12 pitchers on their upcoming 10-game, 11-day road trip through Arizona, San Francisco and Colorado because Bank One Ballpark and Coors Field are hitter's parks and because the Phillies haven't received enough innings from starters Brett Myers and Vicente Padilla.

The next two-sport star? Phillies shortstop Desi Relaford might rate consideration. Relaford turned in perhaps his most spectacular defensive play of the season in the ninth inning of yesterday's 7-6, 10-inning victory over Colorado. Racing into short left-centerfield on a sinking fly off the bat of Ellis Burks, Relaford dived and, fully extended, caught the ball just before it bounced off the Veterans Stadium turf. He then scrambled to his feet and threw to first base to double up Mike Lansing, who had rounded second in the expectation that the ball would drop for a hit. The highlight-reel play couldn't have come at a better time; not only did the Rockies, who were leading, 6-5, fail to add a crucial insurance run; they gave up a tying run in the home half of the ninth before the Phillies won in the 10th.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - When Chad Qualls dislocated his patella, tore his meniscus in two places and partially tore his quad in one twisted motion to avoid a line drive, he was ready to hop on a plane with his Arizona Diamondbacks teammates. A team athletic trainer had already snapped the kneecap back into place while Qualls lay sprawled on the mound, so how bad could it really be? Then doctors told him his 2009 season was over. "I had no idea," Qualls said. Durability is how Qualls has forged a career as a reliever; his latest stop is the Phillies, who signed him to a one-year, $1.15 million deal this winter.

When it comes to records, there is no room in baseball for common sense. On Tuesday night against Cincinnati, in one of baseball's most magnificent performances, Randy Johnson became the third pitcher in major league history to strike out 20 in nine innings. Roger Clemens did it twice, Kerry Wood once. Yet Johnson won't share the record because the game didn't end until the 11th. To his misfortune, his Arizona teammates couldn't score more than a run for him, and he left after nine innings in a 1-1 tie. The Elias Sports Bureau is the official recordkeeper of the game.

The timing seems so absurd. Just when it appears that the Montreal Expos are getting ready to say goodbye, their fans are starting to say hello again. "We love a winner in Montreal," a Canadian Customs official said Sunday night. That much is obvious. Olympic Stadium returned to life over the weekend, when the Expos drew 68,555 fans during a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves. Averaging more than 17,000 fans per game may not seem like much in New York, St. Louis or even Philadelphia, but it is a strong indication that interest in baseball is growing here.

One run seldom is enough for the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks to win - except when they're playing the team that specializes in one-run losses. Brian Anderson pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout and the visiting Diamondbacks finished off a three-game sweep of one-run games yesterday, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0. Arizona won its team-record sixth straight game. The Pirates, who are a major league-worst 17-30 in one-run games, are one loss away from being mathematically eliminated.

PHOENIX - Down in the standings or down to their last out, the Arizona Diamondbacks found a way to rally all season, riding their comebacks back into the playoffs. After two lackluster games in Milwaukee, the Diamondbacks need one last big comeback or it will turn out to be a short return to the postseason. Trailing the bashing-and-bunting Brewers, two games to none, in their best-of-five National League division series, Arizona returns home for Game 3 Tuesday night, sending out rookie righthander Josh Collmenter to face Milwaukee righthander Shaun Marcum in what should be a raucous atmosphere at Chase Field.

PHOENIX - Maybe the Phillies shouldn't feel so bad. It seems that nobody can beat the Colorado Rockies. Not the San Diego Padres, who lost a one-game playoff to the Rockies for the National League wild card. Not the Phillies, who were swept by the Rockies in the National League division series. And not the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have lost the first two games to the Rockies in the NL Championship Series. The Diamondbacks scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning last night at Chase Field to send Game 2 into extra innings, but Arizona closer Jose Valverde - who threw a season-high 42 pitches - loaded the bases in the top of the 11th and walked Willy Taveras with two outs to score the go-ahead run in a 3-2 victory for the Rockies.

The pennant races are heating up, and it looks as if Randy Johnson wants in. The Big Unit didn't come right out and say yesterday that he wants the woeful Arizona Diamondbacks to trade him, but he dropped a few broad hints. "Obviously, it's very frustrating what's gone on this year," the flame-throwing lefthander said. "It's extremely depressing the way we've been playing. " Asked specifically whether he wanted to be traded, Johnson said, "I don't know. " Asked whether he wanted to stay in Arizona, Johnson said, "I don't know that I can say that.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - When Chad Qualls dislocated his patella, tore his meniscus in two places and partially tore his quad in one twisted motion to avoid a line drive, he was ready to hop on a plane with his Arizona Diamondbacks teammates. A team athletic trainer had already snapped the kneecap back into place while Qualls lay sprawled on the mound, so how bad could it really be? Then doctors told him his 2009 season was over. "I had no idea," Qualls said. Durability is how Qualls has forged a career as a reliever; his latest stop is the Phillies, who signed him to a one-year, $1.15 million deal this winter.

PHOENIX - Down in the standings or down to their last out, the Arizona Diamondbacks found a way to rally all season, riding their comebacks back into the playoffs. After two lackluster games in Milwaukee, the Diamondbacks need one last big comeback or it will turn out to be a short return to the postseason. Trailing the bashing-and-bunting Brewers, two games to none, in their best-of-five National League division series, Arizona returns home for Game 3 Tuesday night, sending out rookie righthander Josh Collmenter to face Milwaukee righthander Shaun Marcum in what should be a raucous atmosphere at Chase Field.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Daniel Hudson pitched seven strong innings to win his ninth game, and Miguel Montero and Juan Miranda each homered to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night. Hudson (9-5) is tied for the National League lead in victories. He is 8-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his last 11 starts after losing his first four. He held the Royals to three runs on six hits, while walking one and striking out one. Montero led off the second with his ninth home run, while Miranda connected in the fourth.

IT WAS ANOTHER moment of truth for Cole Hamels. He was struggling on the mound. Hamels had already endured a 31-pitch first inning during which he walked in the game's first run with two outs. He'd created the same scenario in the fourth but contained the damage and again gave up just one run. Now in the fifth inning, Hamels had another full house with two outs. He'd already thrown more than 100 pitches but nobody was even warming up in the Phillies bullpen. This was Hamels' mess to clean up. Help was not coming.

PHOENIX - Maybe the Phillies shouldn't feel so bad. It seems that nobody can beat the Colorado Rockies. Not the San Diego Padres, who lost a one-game playoff to the Rockies for the National League wild card. Not the Phillies, who were swept by the Rockies in the National League division series. And not the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have lost the first two games to the Rockies in the NL Championship Series. The Diamondbacks scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning last night at Chase Field to send Game 2 into extra innings, but Arizona closer Jose Valverde - who threw a season-high 42 pitches - loaded the bases in the top of the 11th and walked Willy Taveras with two outs to score the go-ahead run in a 3-2 victory for the Rockies.

There was no fanfare when the Arizona Diamondbacks headed to Chicago early this morning. There weren't any household names on their flight. They aren't rich in tradition or payroll. Heck, they couldn't even sell out their downtown ballpark for a postseason game. But when they flew into Chicago today, they had one thing the lovable Cubs and their noisy network of aggrieved fans don't - a two-games-to-none lead in their best-of-five National League division series. The Diamondbacks took the bloom off Cubs starter Ted Lilly last night.

The pennant races are heating up, and it looks as if Randy Johnson wants in. The Big Unit didn't come right out and say yesterday that he wants the woeful Arizona Diamondbacks to trade him, but he dropped a few broad hints. "Obviously, it's very frustrating what's gone on this year," the flame-throwing lefthander said. "It's extremely depressing the way we've been playing. " Asked specifically whether he wanted to be traded, Johnson said, "I don't know. " Asked whether he wanted to stay in Arizona, Johnson said, "I don't know that I can say that.

Praise the off day. Phillies relief pitchers had a chance to rest yesterday after a 14-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, and after a busy week in which they threw 27 1/3 innings in just six days. Phillies manager Larry Bowa said Sunday that the Phillies might need 12 pitchers on their upcoming 10-game, 11-day road trip through Arizona, San Francisco and Colorado because Bank One Ballpark and Coors Field are hitter's parks and because the Phillies haven't received enough innings from starters Brett Myers and Vicente Padilla.

The Phillies have been scuffling for runs in the season's first month and went into last night with five of their starters hitting between .174 and .241. So, facing the great Randy Johnson, the most imposing lefthander of his generation, didn't seem like a fun assignment. As it turned out, it wasn't. Trailing by 3-0, the Arizona Diamondbacks scored four sixth-inning runs - three on a two-out homer by pinch-hitter Carlos Baerga - and jolted the Phillies, 6-4, before a sellout crowd of 44,048 at Citizens Bank Park.

There will always be a big piece of Curt Schilling that is a Phillie. Even though he has been gone for more than three years, he still follows his old team's every move, on and off the field. So, like any other Phillies follower, Schilling felt his pulse quicken when he heard the team had reached for the stars and pulled down one of the biggest in flame-throwing closer Billy Wagner last week. "At first, I was excited for them," Schilling said. "It makes them a completely different team.