PHOENIX — Randy Johnson got 20 strikeouts but not the glory.
Johnson became only the third pitcher to strike out 20 in nine innings but missed out on tying the record because the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds went to extra innings Tuesday night, the Diamondbacks winning, 4-3, in 11 innings.
Johnson became the first left-hander to strike out 20, but didn't join Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood, who share the record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game.
Clemens struck out 20 for the Boston Red Sox against the Seattle Mariners on April 29, 1986, and did it again for the Red Sox against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 18, 1996. Wood struck out 20 for the Chicago Cubs against the Houston Astros on May 6, 1998.
The major league record for an extra-inning game is 21 by Tom Cheney for the Washington Senators against the Baltimore Orioles in a 16-inning game on Sept. 12, 1962.
The Elias Sports Bureau, baseball's statistician, said Johnson's performance will be considered as occurring in an extra-inning game even though he came out after nine.
Johnson threw 124 pitches, 92 for strikes, and walked none before Byung-Hyun Kim relieved to start the 10th.
Johnson struck out the side in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings, and fanned two batters in the first, second, third, fifth and eighth. He struck out only one in the sixth.
The 37-year-old pitcher, known as the "Big Unit," won the last two National League Cy Young Awards and the American League Cy Young in 1995.
He had 18 strikeouts in the first eight innings, then struck out pinch-hitter Deion Sanders on three pitches leading off the ninth.
Johnson gave up a groundout to Donnie Sadler, then struck out Juan Castro swinging. The pitcher raised his right arm in celebration and tipped his cap as he walked off the field.
Bank One Ballpark put a "K" on the scoreboard for each strikeout, but the board ran out of room before Johnson reached 20. Additional "Ks" were then tacked on the side of the board, with lights forming "20" in the middle.
Johnson struck out Barry Larkin and Alex Ochoa three times apiece; and Castro, Pokey Reese, Chris Reitsma, Ruben Rivera, Sadler, Kelly Stinnett twice each. He fanned Aaron Boone and Sanders once.
Johnson, who struck out nine of his first 12 batters and eight of his last nine, gave up three hits.
