Record or not, Randy Johnson is third to get 20K's in nine innings. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        PHOENIX — Randy Johnson got 20 strikeouts but not the glory. The Arizona lefty became only the third pitcher to strike out 20 in nine innings but missed out on tying the record because the Diamondbacks and Reds went to extra innings Tuesday night.

        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, who became the first left-hander to strike out 20 in any game, said he wasn't disappointed.

        “I was asked if I wanted to go out there and saw no point in going out there for the 10th inning,” Johnson said after the Diamondbacks pulled out a 4-3 win in 11 innings. “I surely could have went out there and done it, but what was the point?

        “The outcome is what's important,” he said. “I'm just really glad we won the game after losing last night. I hope this builds some momentum for us.”

        Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood share the record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game.

        The major league record for an extra-inning game is 21 by Tom Cheney for Washington against Baltimore in a 16-inning game on Sept. 12, 1962.

        Clemens struck out 20 for Boston against Seattle on April 29, 1986, and did it again for the Red Sox at Detroit on Sept. 18, 1996. Wood struck out 20 for the Chicago Cubs against Houston on May 6, 1998.

        Mark Grace, who hit a game-tying double in the 11th, played in Wood's game.

        “There really wasn't much difference,” Grace said. “They both had that electric slider going.”

        Center fielder Steve Finley has never seen a slider on a par with Johnson's.

        “It was ridiculous,” Finley said. “You know, he throws that batting-practice fastball 92 or 93, and there were a lot of times tonight I thought he was throwing his fastball that speed, and it was 98. It was so easy, with no effort, on any of his pitches, sliders, everything.”

        Reds reliever Danny Graves, who took the loss after giving up three runs in the 11th, and couldn't help but admire another pitcher's tour de force.

        “It just wasn't meant to be tonight after what the Big Unit did,” Graves said. “Striking out 20 guys? You kind of think there's no way we should win after the performance he had. Congratulations to him, and its too bad he didn't get the win out of it.”

        Johnson threw 124 pitches, 92 for strikes, and walked none. He gave up three hits and one run 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 NL Cy Young Awards and the AL 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 had twice struck out 19 in a game for Seattle, on June 24, 1997, in a 4-1 loss to Oakland and that Aug. 8 in a 5-0 win against the Chicago White Sox.

        “I've struck out 19 before and lost, and I've struck out 19 and won. I get a no-decision today, but the team won, and that's the bottom line.”

        The only other left-hander to reach 19 was Steve Carlton, who did it against the New York Mets for St. Louis on Sept. 15, 1969 — losing the game 4-3.

        With 3,132 strikeouts, Johnson passed Bob Gibson (3,117) to move into 11th place on the career list.

        Ferguson Jenkins is 10th at 3,192. Nolan Ryan holds the record with 5,714.

        “The people that I'm in a category with now, I feel extremely honored to be included in that category,” Johnson said.

        It was Johnson's sixth consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts and seventh in his eight starts. He has 155 in his career, second only to Nolan Ryan's 215.

D'Backs 4, Reds 3: Johnson gets 20 Ks Johnson doesn't get record, though Rx for Larkin: Ice and more ice Reds box, runs

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