Randy Johnson Gets 300th Win

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The emotions finally got to Randy Johnson when the final out was recorded.

He hugged his son who was acting as batboy. He hugged every teammate, including his manager. The game ball was presented to his wife while his three daughters looked on.

The Big Unit admits he can come across as surly, and he did his best over the past few weeks to downplay his pursuit of 300 career wins. Once he got there, with a six-inning performance in the San Francisco Giants’ 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday, he was free to express that, yes, it really is a big deal.

“I think it kind of hit me when I walked on the field,” Johnson said. “It’s a long-range achievement. It’s not a one-game or a one-year achievement, it’s a career achievement. Who knows how many teammates I’ve had over my 21 years, but they had a great deal to do with my success. I’m going to think about this for a long time.”

Johnson became the 24th pitcher to reach the milestone, and he did it as a mature pitcher, not the overpowering tangle of arms and legs who was all about strikeouts early in his career. He walked two, struck out two, allowed only an unearned run and threw 50 of his 78 pitches for strikes. He faced four batters above the minimum and got shutout relief from his bullpen.

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