[ MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ]
San Francisco pitcher Jerome Williams threw to first base to put out Arizona's Roberto Alomar on a bunt attempt.
Williams outpitches
Johnson in 8-3 winSan Francisco beats Arizona as the former
Waipahu star gives up three hits in six innings
SAN FRANCISCO >> Randy Johnson was battling the Giants, trade rumors, his own poor pitching and even his teammates.
No wonder he couldn't overcome them all -- and no wonder the Arizona ace was in a bad mood.
Luis Gonzalez dropped Edgardo Alfonzo's bases-loaded liner to left field, allowing the go-ahead runs to score in San Francisco's 8-3 victory over the Diamondbacks last night.
Waipahu's Jerome Williams outpitched Johnson with six innings of three-hit ball.
Pitching back home in the Bay Area was no fun for Johnson (10-7), who had an infuriating night by several standards. He allowed six hits and three walks in five innings, adding six strikeouts to his major league-leading total of 145, but never dominating.
The five-time Cy Young Award winner was ordered to walk Barry Bonds with runners on first and second in the fifth -- and Alfonzo made Arizona pay with a drive that resulted in three runs on errors by Gonzalez and Steve Finley.
Johnson's frustration boiled over into a dugout confrontation with Gonzalez, though it was broken up by teammates. The Big Unit didn't return to the game -- and afterward was asked about the persistent speculation linking him with the New York Yankees, who have inquired about his availability.
"I'm not going to comment on any of that stuff," Johnson said. "Eventually, I will just stop talking to the press. I haven't been approached by the Diamondbacks yet. They don't have a trade in place yet. I haven't been asked to waive my no-trade clause. Don't ask again, and that's the nicest way I will ask."
Williams (8-6) drew a walk to start San Francisco's four-run fifth.
But all eyes were on Bonds' matchup with The Big Unit. Bonds came away with an RBI single, a line-drive out -- and his 68th intentional walk, which tied his own single-season major league record.
After Johnson walked Bonds, Gonzalez then got his glove on Alfonzo's drive but couldn't hang on, allowing two runs to score. Finley picked up the ball and made a bad throw to the infield, permitting Bonds to score for a 6-3 lead.
"I walked the pitcher, and that didn't help," Johnson said. "That inning should have been over before anything transpired."
When the Diamondbacks got back to their dugout after the inning ended, several players could be seen scurrying quickly toward some activity in the tunnel leading to the visiting locker room. That's where Johnson apparently confronted Gonzalez, though most teammates were tightlipped about it.
"It's not a concern," interim manager Al Pedrique said. "Young players have to realize everybody is competitive, everybody wants to win. Sometimes it's good for that to happen. It depends on how you handle it."
Gonzalez said there were no lingering problems.
"Everything is over. It's fine," he said.
With nearly half the season still to play, Bonds tied his 2002 record with his 68th intentional walk. The Diamondbacks have walked Bonds plenty of times during their seven years of divisional play -- and in an infamous episode several years ago, they gave Bonds an intentional pass with no runners on base in a tie game.
Also, former Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter once walked Bonds with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a close game.
"Now, it looks like everybody is walking him," San Francisco manager Felipe Alou said. "They don't want to miss walking him. I like to see him swinging the bat, but the next best thing is walking him. We'll take the walks."
Bonds drew another walk and scored on a grounder in the seventh. Neifi Perez had three hits as San Francisco won for just the second time in seven games, moving within a half-game of Los Angeles atop the jumbled NL West.
Shea Hillenbrand extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games with a first-inning single, but Williams hit him with pitches in his next two at-bats. Hillenbrand left the game after getting plunked in the fifth.
Pedrique said Hillenbrand felt tightness in his right hamstring.
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