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Tuesday, September 29, 1998
Brown vs. Big Unit opens Padres-Astros series
By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) - Overwhelming versus nasty.
It won't be a pleasant day for hitters when Houston's Randy
Johnson and San Diego's Kevin Brown, two of baseball's most dominating
pitchers, provide a marquee matchup in the opener of the NL division
series between the Padres and Astros on Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson, of course, is the Big Unit, a 6-foot-10 left-hander
who virtually no one relishes facing.
Brown's pitches have so much movement that they've been described
as "nasty" and "filthy" as well as some unprintable
names.
And this is what the Astros and Padres get for posting their
best seasons ever?
"It ain't' fun," San Diego batting star Tony Gwynn
said of facing Johnson. "Probably the biggest challenge you
have as a left-handed hitter in this league is facing Randy Johnson.
When he's on, you can't hit him."
Reinvigorated after his trade from Seattle on July 31, Johnson
went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA, led the majors with 329 strikeouts
and has been unbeatable in the Astrodome, going 5-0 with four
shutouts.
Johnson said his velocity and control were inconsistent in
his last start Wednesday against St. Louis, when he allowed eight
hits but just one earned run - and no Mark McGwire homers - in
a 7-1 win at St. Louis.
"I would have liked to have pitched a more quality ballgame,
but when you get into postseason, you can throw the number out;
it's a pure adrenaline rush," Johnson said Monday. "You're
able to do a lot of things you may not have done in the regular
season because there is a lot of hype on the game."
Johnson has had a huge impact on the NL Central champion Astros'
102-win season, even drawing 15,000 fans more than the average
when he pitches.
"When he pitches, he wins, and he gives us confidence,"
manager Larry Dierker said.
Johnson has faced left-handers just 18 times since joining
the Astros, allowing four hits.
On June 24, Johnson beat the Padres 2-1 in San Diego with a
six-hit complete game. Switch-hitter Quilvio Veras and Greg Vaughn
each had two hits, but Gwynn and fellow lefty Steve Finley combined
to go 0-for-7.
Padres manager Bruce Bochy said Finley, the center fielder,
will play Tuesday, but he was unsure about first baseman Wally
Joyner, who has been bothered by a sore left shoulder. If Joyner
can't go, he'll be replaced at first base by right-hander Jim
Leyritz.
Brown was a big catalyst in the Padres' 98-win season. After
helping Florida win the World Series last year, he became expendable
along with all the other high-priced Marlins stars, and the Padres
snapped him up for three prospects.
Brown went 18-7 with a 2.38 ERA and 257 strikeouts. He won
14 of 15 decisions from May 26-Aug. 25, including 11 straight.
If he'd gotten better run support, he could have won more than
20.
"I knew Kevin Brown would make a difference on this ballclub.
I just didn't know it would be this much," Bochy said.
The NL West champion Padres love Brown's competitiveness, which
should come in handy as they try to forget their 15 losses in
24 games in September.
"You can't read too much into it," Brown said. "We're
at a point now where it is a different setting. Maybe the adrenaline
will kick in and maybe we get some guys healthy. It's time for
us to turn it back on.
"I can't imagine guys walking out on the field tomorrow
and not having that kind of feeling that we've had for the first
five months of the season."
Brown is winless in his last four starts, including two losses
and two no-decisions. After his last win on Sept. 5, the Padres
scored just five runs in his next three starts. He was perfect
through six innings against Los Angeles on Sept. 10 before an
error and a bloop hit led to a 4-3 loss, and he threw nine shutout
innings and got a no-decision against Colorado on Sept. 20 only
because Darryl Kile threw 10 shutout innings.
"He throws that hard slider and he's got the forkball,
and everything looks like it's coming in at 1,000 mph," said
Sean Berry, who, like the five Astros ahead of him in the lineup,
is hitting above .300.
Both teams were swept the last time they were in the playoffs,
Houston by Atlanta last year and San Diego by St. Louis in 1996.
Houston has never won a postseason series.
The Padres were the only team not to be swept this season.
The Padres avoided a sweep at Arizona with Sunday night's 3-2
win in which Greg Vaughn hit his 50th homer and Trevor Hoffman
tied the NL record with his 53rd save.
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