Big Unit Impressive in Giants Debut, But HR Costs Him As Giants Fall To Brewers 4-2

Giants fans flocked to AT&T Park on Wednesday to see greatness, as personified by Randy Johnson.
They gave Johnson not one but two standing ovations before the game even began, reflecting their eagerness to see the left-hander pitch and their gratitude for his signing with the Giants during the offseason.

Johnson responded with a mostly dominant performance, albeit a brief one, in his regular-season Giants debut. He struck out seven batters in five innings, all but one swinging.

"The crowd was going crazy," Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand said.

But the euphoria left the park along with opposing pitcher Yovani Gallardo's fifth-inning homer, a three-run drive that broke a tie and carried the Milwaukee Brewers past the Giants, 4-2.

"I feel bad because I took the wind out of the sails for the fans," Johnson said.

The 6-foot-10 left-hander appeared destined to survive the fifth. Bill Hall's two-out, ground-rule double prolonged the inning. The Giants opted to intentionally walk No. 8 hitter Jason Kendall with first base open. Up came Gallardo, who entered the season with two home runs in 49 lifetime at-bats. He delivered No. 3 by hammering a high 1-2 fastball over the left-field barrier.

Gallardo, the first pitcher to hit a home run off Johnson in his 22-year career, immediately felt the impact of his feat.

"Not too many people get the opportunity to do that," Gallardo said. "Rounding the bases, I got very excited."

Until then, Johnson appeared to have at least a fair shot at recording career victory No. 296, which would have brought him a step closer to becoming the 24th pitcher to reach 300. He struck out two batters in each of the first two innings, generating the excitement usually reserved for an appearance by Tim Lincecum -- who collected his 2008 National League Cy Young Award plaque in a pregame ceremony.

From his perspective in center field, Rowand was duly impressed by the 45-year-old future Hall of Famer.

"He was rolling along, hitting his spots," Rowand said. "He was doing exactly what he wanted to do."

But, as Johnson said, "it kind of gets lost in that one at-bat."

Gallardo made the Giants look lost in several at-bats. They threatened the right-hander on multiple occasions, but went only 1-for-11 off him with runners in scoring position.

"He's arguably their best pitcher," Johnson said. "He has a bright future ahead of him."

Nevertheless, Rowand said, "all in all, I thought our approach against him was pretty good." Rowand could say that legitimately after doubling twice, including a seventh-inning clout toward the 421-foot marker in right-center field that would have been a homer in most other parks. That was the kind of hit that frustrated Rowand last season, his first as a Giant. Wednesday, he grinned and shrugged off the experience, insisting that he'll continue trying to spray line drives in all directions. Even that one.