Johnson, Mariners Make Impression on JetHawks

LANCASTER —  When the Seattle Mariners played the minor league Lancaster JetHawks in an exhibition game on Sunday afternoon, everyone in the ballpark was eager to see Randy Johnson pitch.

Well, almost everyone.

“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous,” said JetHawk outfielder Joe Mathis, a left-handed hitter who was hitless in three at bats, including two strikeouts against Johnson in the Mariners’ 14-4 victory before a standing-room-only crowd of 6,977 at the Hangar.

“I felt like he was taking it easy on us, but he was still pretty good.”

Johnson, making his final start of a spring training in which he’s been rehabilitating from back surgery, threw 85 pitches in four innings, striking out seven. The JetHawks, the class-A affiliate of the Mariners, managed three runs and six hits off Johnson, but three were broken-bat hits. Another was an infield hit and another was a blooper.

The only solid hit belonged to JetHawk catcher Dusty Wathan, who had a line drive into center field.

“It feels good to get a hit off him,” Wathan said. “He wasn’t in midseason form, but it’s still something to get a hit off Randy Johnson.”

The fans didn’t much care about what happened in the game.

They got to see Johnson. They saw Ken Griffey Jr., who had two hits in three at-bats and hit several towering home runs in batting practice.

When he left the game in the third inning--after being struck out by Damaso Marte in what is certainly the highlight of the pitcher’s young career--Griffey gave his bat to a young girl in the stands.

The Mariners started substituting triple-A players and major league reserves after they took a 14-2 lead in the top of third.

Still, the JetHawks weren’t too upset with the loss, considering the competition.

“This is a great thing out here,” said reliever John Thompson before the game. “We’re still just in A ball and it’s great to see the guys we see on TV.”