BIG UNIT PROVES TO BE BIG BUST : BALTIMORE 9, SEATTLE 3.

Byline: Jim Cour Associated Press 

The Baltimore Orioles proved their regular-season mastery over Randy Johnson was the real deal. This time, it was a big defeat for the Big Unit.

If they can beat Seattle's ace so easily, as Mike Mussina and his teammates did Wednesday night, the Mariners are in serious jeopardy.

The Orioles, wire-to-wire champions of the AL East, took advantage of Johnson's wildness to beat the 20-game winner 9-3 Wednesday night in the opener of their division series.

``I don't know, maybe I've got a phobia or something about the Orioles,'' Johnson said.

``Tell all the Baltimore Orioles to go and put on another jersey,'' he said.

Johnson lost for only the fifth time this season, three of them to Baltimore. Facing a lineup stacked with righties - Rafael Palmeiro, Roberto Alomar and B.J. Surhoff started on the bench - he fell to 3-8 overall against the Orioles.

``His control was off today,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ``He was behind on the count to quite a few hitters. Randy wasn't sharp. It was just one of those days.''

``They handle the bat well and they can put the ball in play,'' he said. ``They really didn't have any big strikeout hitters in their lineup tonight.''

A crowd of 59,579, the largest ever to watch baseball at the Kingdome, saw Johnson's playoff flop last 100 pitches. In five innings, he gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks, with only three strikeouts.

``I was happy that the Big Unit got all the press before the game,'' Orioles manager Davey Johnson said. ``It was like Mike Mussina was like chopped liver. I thought that was the greatest thing we had going for us.''

The Mariners have to be wondering whether the Orioles have their number, too. Cal Ripken, who finished the season in a 6-for-36 slump, had three hits as Baltimore improved to 8-4 against Seattle this year.

``My guys hit some good pitches and they laid off some pretty good pitches,'' Davey Johnson said. ``I've seen Randy throw very good, but he hasn't thrown that good against us.''

The Orioles know Randy Johnson pitches with a lot of pressure on him.

``People expect him to strike out 15 batters every time he goes out there,'' Mussina said.

Piniella said he planned to bring Johnson back on three days rest Sunday and put rookie Ken Cloude, Sunday's projected starter, in the bullpen if Game 4 is necessary in Baltimore.

Davey Johnson said he would bring Mussina back to pitch Sunday, too.

Mussina improved his career record against the Mariners to 9-1 by beating Seattle for the second time this season.

Mussina, a 15-game winner this season, allowed five hits, including home runs by Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner, in seven innings. He struck out nine and walked none in winning his first postseason game.

Jesse Orosco and Armando Benitez finished the combined seven-hitter. Ken Griffey Jr. went 0 for 4 for Seattle, and Alex Rodriguez homered in the ninth.

Geronimo Berroa and Chris Hoiles even stole some of Seattle's thunder by hitting home runs. The Mariners broke the Orioles' major-league home run record with 264 this year.

On Thursday, the Mariners will attempt to salvage a split at home. Seattle sends 17-game winner Jamie Moyer against Scott Erickson, who won 16 this season and was 2-0 against Seattle.

The Orioles, with the best road record in the AL, broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the fifth, ending Johnson's ill-fated night.

Johnson began the fifth by walking Jeffrey Hammonds, who stole second and went to third on first baseman Paul Sorrento's throwing error, and Mike Bordick.

Brady Anderson followed with an RBI single, Jeff Reboulet sacrificed and Eric Davis bounced a single over drawn-in third baseman Mike Blowers for a 4-1 lead. After Davis was caught stealing, Berroa homered.

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Photo

Photo: (color) Randy Johnson leaves the field after another loss to Baltimore.

Associated Press