Randy Johnson

New York Yankees@Orioles Day ............ Time ....... TV .............................. Starters Tonight ...... 7:05 ....... CSN ........Randy Johnson (11-9, 5.07) .......................................................... vs. Bruce Chen (0-6, 7.07) Tomorrow . 4:35 ......... 54 ............ Mike Mussina (13-3, 3.40) ..................................................... vs. Adam Loewen (1-3, 6.44) Sunday ....... 1:35 .... CSN ............... Jaret Wright (7-6, 4.57) .............

The lesson should have been ingrained in the Orioles' minds from a night earlier. No matter how injury-depleted the New York Yankees are, no matter who is their closer or their cleanup hitter, they will find a way to win if you keep giving them opportunities. The Orioles tied the game yesterday with two runs in the eighth inning, but failed in successive opportunities to score the go-ahead run. Then they watched closer Chris Ray give up the winning run for the second night in a row as Johnny Damon led off the 10th with a bases-empty home run that beat the Orioles, 6-5, before a sellout crowd of 48,195 at Camden Yards.

Several of the Orioles had started to walk off the field and manager Sam Perlozzo said that he already began to ponder how his team was going to score a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the New York Yankees last night. Catcher Ramon Hernandez's throw arrived at second base ahead of Johnny Damon, and Brian Roberts' tag was applied before the foot of the Yankees center fielder reached the bag. Second base umpire Lance Barksdale immediately called Damon out, before noticing the ball laying in the dirt near second base.

On deck -- Yankees at Red Sox-- New York's Randy Johnson (5-4) will try to reverse his recent struggles against Boston's potent lineup tonight.

An open letter to Randy Johnson: Perhaps you were on to something when you recently said you'd "walk away" if you could no longer pitch like you used to. If you think about it, retirement to your home in awfully idyllic-sounding Paradise Valley, Ariz., offers you a lot of pluses. For instance, there are no umpires to mess up your day in Paradise Valley. There are no teammates to let you down, to fumble grounders and to drop fly balls. You and I know who I mean, Randy. Yes, Alex Rodriguez, who makes more than you (the indignity of it all!

A splendid torment. That's how my buddy Nick described the 11 1/2 hours of our fantasy baseball auction Saturday. Turns out he cribbed the phrase from Thomas Jefferson, who described the presidency as "splendid misery." But whatever the exact wording, it's apt. Seven league mates streamed into my basement just before 11 a.m. Two called in from an office in Manhattan and another dropped in via Web cam from California. Scott uses a computer-driven draft plan that we've dubbed "The Sauce," so it seemed only appropriate that he was beamed in like Big Brother.

For the Record The quiz STRIKING FIGURES -- The Baseball Hall of Fame vote will be announced Tuesday. Among the candidates is pitcher Bert Blyleven, who is fifth all time in strikeouts with 3,701. Who are ahead of him? Answer below Moves Basketball NBA -- Suspended Rockets F Juwan Howard one game for his actions Tuesday against Raptors. Colleges UCLA -- Announced that RB-KR Maurice Drew will forgo senior season to make himself available for NFL draft. VIRGINIA TECH -- Announced that QB Marcus Vick will make himself available for NFL draft.

YESTERDAY White Sox 5, Red Sox 3 Chicago sweeps defending champions out of playoffs and wins a postseason series for the first time since 1917. Angels 11, Yankees 7 L.A. roughs up Randy Johnson, recovers after blowing 5-0 lead, can oust New York today. Today Angels@Yankees, 4:30 p.m., chs. 45, 5; Washburn (8-8, 3.20) vs. Chacon (7-3, 2.85) Braves@Astros, 8:05 p.m., chs. 45, 5; Sosa (13-3, 2.55) vs. Oswalt (20-12, 2.94) Cardinals@Padres, 11:09 p.m., ESPN; Morris (14-10, 4.11) vs. W. Williams (9-12, 4.85)

Greeting cards are lined up along the shelves in Sam Perlozzo's office, friends and former colleagues expressing their joy in verse after he was named Orioles interim manager last month. Not one of them offers condolences. Those sentiments will come if Perlozzo loses his job. Considering how the Orioles are playing, he might be pitied more if he keeps it. The New York Yankees scored six runs in the fourth inning last night, half of them coming on Jason Giambi's homer, and they batted around twice while taking over sole possession of first place in the American League East with an 11-3 victory over the Orioles before an announced crowd of 43,039 at Camden Yards.