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Young, Johnson lead Diamondbacks over Rockies

Sep 29, 2008 - 12:45 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Chris Young drew a game-winning, bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning and Randy Johnson tossed a two-hitter as the Arizona Diamondbacks closed out their regular season with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Young was responsible for all of the drama for the Diamondbacks. He erased a 1-0 deficit in the eighth with a solo home run to deep left, his 22nd blast of the season. One inning later, he came up big in another opportune moment.

Colorado reliever Luis Vizcaino (1-2) walked two and allowed a single to Augie Ojeda to load the bases with one out.

But Stephen Drew fouled out weakly to third, leaving it up to Young. The 25-year-old Young, who entered the game with 164 strikeouts and just 61 walks this season, drew the walk, bringing home pinch runner Alex Romero with the winning run.

"It was one of those days for me," Young said. "I came up in a couple of situations where I could make something happen and it happened tonight."

Johnson (11-10) went the full nine innings for the first time since June 16, 2005. He had three other complete games since then, but all three were eight-inning outings in losing causes. The lefthander gave up just one unearned run while striking out nine and walking one.

"I guess you couldn't ask for anything more," Johnson said. "To go nine innings, to have everything develop the way it did, it was a nice way for everybody to end the season."

The Rockies' lone run came in the first inning, as Clint Barmes reached on third baseman Mark Reynolds' throwing error and came around to score on Johnson's wild pitch.

The victory is the 295th of Johnson's career, but his first since August 12.

"It's pretty phenomenal at the end of the season, in his last start, for a 45-year-old to be able to give you nine innings like that," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "He showed today that he has that extra gear when he needs it, so I think it's unanimous (that he comes back)."

The Rockies closed the season at 74-88 for a disappointing third-place finish following last year's World Series run.

"Everyone is disappointed, but they aren't going away angry, and it's not like everyone has pom-poms (and is) happy the season is over either," manager Clint Hurdle said. "There is way more to be done on a positive fashion that can be done. This is just a good team that had a bad season, and that is my responsibility."