PHOENIX, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Fireballing southpaw Randy Johnson, headed for a fourth consecutive Cy Young Award, gets the start Tuesday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks host the St. Louis Cardinals in Game One of a rematch of last year's National League Division Series.
The 6-10 Johnson, perhaps the game's most intimidating, entered the playoffs last season with a major league record six-game postseason losing streak. It extended to seven in Game Two against the Cardinals after he allowed three runs and eight hits in eight innings. Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer off Johnson in the first inning.
Johnson made five more appearances after that one and won each, including Game Seven of the World Series against the New York Yankees, when he replaced fellow flame-thrower Curt Schilling and retired all four batters he faced as the Diamondbacks won, 3-2, to become the fastest expansion team to become world champions. Last season, Johnson and Schilling combined for nine wins in the postseason.
"I think Randy and Curt are an advantage in a one-game series or a 50-game series," said Diamondbacks Manager Bob Brenly. "I mean having those two guys available is certainly something we like a lot. This year in particular because of the way the schedule is set up. In the Division Series, we can pitch those guys conceivably four our of the five games, and that's something we like."
Although Johnson and Schilling remain, several key players are not around.
Luis Gonzalez, who delivered an RBI single off closer Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game Seven of the World Series, will not be able to contribute this year as he is sidelined with a separated shoulder. Second baseman Craig Counsell, right fielder Danny
Bautista and lefthander Brian Anderson all are sidelined.
St. Louis goes with Matt Morris, who pitched brilliantly but was 0-1 in two Division Series starts last season. He opposed Schilling both times and allowed just two runs and 13 hits in 15
innings.
"I'm sure it's going to be difficult anyway," said Morris about facing a lineup without Gonzalez and Counsell. "These are professional hitters. It's a great team. You know, losing Gonzo is a big blow to them, obviously right in the heart of their lineup. It allows us to pitch to more guys and pitch to some key guys."
The Yankees also begin their quest to return to the World Series as they host the Anaheim Angels in Game One of the American League Division Series Tuesday night.
New York had won three straight World Series before losing to Arizona last year, and bolstered its offense by acquiring All-Star first baseman Jason Giambi, third baseman Robin Ventura and rightfielder Raul Mondesi.
New York also added a starting pitcher to an already deep staff as lefthander David Wells returned to the Bronx after being sought after by the Diamondbacks in the offseason.
Six-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, who has battled nagging injuries this season, takes the mound at Yankee Stadium Tuesday night.
Clemens is just 1-3 with a 4.86 ERA in six career Division Series starts, but owns a 27-8 career record against the Angels.
While with the Boston Red Sox in 1986, Clemens went 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA in three starts against the Angels in the AL Championship Series.
"This is the best time of year, the most excitement around the city," Clemens said. "Not only do we have high expectations, our fans and the city, they have high expectations for us also. We're supposed to go out there and shine and do well. But we have to play well."
While the expectations are always there for the Yankees, they were not for the Angels, a team that finished 12 games below .500 last season and was not expected to contend with the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners in the AL West.
Anaheim got off to a 6-14 start but finished with a franchise-record 99 wins to reach the postseason for the first time since 1986, when the Angels lost in seven games to Boston.
"I think the patience to see this lineup get together and play was what was needed," said Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. "They certainly did that after that 6-14 start, they'd been incredible. I think it's a credit to those players keeping it together and believing in themselves."
Jarrod Washburn, who was not yet in high school when the Angels last made the playoffs and lost that series to Boston, opposes Clemens.
Oakland, which lost in five games to New York in the Division Series the last two years, plays Game One of the other ALDS against the upstart Minnesota Twins Tuesday afternoon. The A's have
three different 20-game winners in as many years and start righthander Tim Hudson.
Hudson received poor run support early in the season, but finished with a 15-9 record and a 2.98 ERA. He has won eight straight decisions since a loss at Anaheim on July 24.
Lefthanders Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, who combined for 42 wins, will start Games Two and Three for Oakland.
"We just didn't want to start juggling the rotation down to the last week," said A's Manager Art Howe. "They were all in a nice groove doing what they were doing. If you start
changing a day here and there, you don't know how it's going to affect people, and we have the utmost confidence in all three pitchers. I think sometimes, you can overrate the fact that maybe a team doesn't hit lefties or righties too much, when you are running a quality righthander out there, like Tim Hudson, it doesn't matter what the numbers are out there on the other side, I don't think."
First-year manager Ron Gardenhire has the Twins in the postseason for the first time since 1991, when the club won the World Series. Gardenhire, whose club had a balanced lineup, will start Brad Radke in Game One.
The other NL Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants begins Wednesday.
