Randy Johnson, known to baseball fans around the world as “The Big Unit,” stands as one of the most dominant and intimidating pitchers the game has ever seen. His 6-foot-10 frame, explosive fastball, and devastating slider made him a nightmare for hitters for more than two decades. But every legend has a beginning, and Johnson’s first major league win—on May 28, 1989—was far more than just a box score line. It was the moment a raw, inconsistent young pitcher began the process of transforming into a Hall of Famer. This article examines that game in detail, explores the context of Johnson’s early career, and explains why that first victory holds significance far beyond the simple number “1” in the win column.

The Early Career of Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson was born in Walnut Creek, California, and grew up in Livermore before attending the University of Southern California. His raw talent was undeniable, but his path to the major leagues was not without obstacles. The Montreal Expos selected Johnson in the second round of the 1985 MLB draft after he had previously been drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1982 draft but did not sign. Johnson’s early professional years were marked by electric stuff and equally electric wildness: he walked more than six batters per nine innings in the minor leagues. Despite the control issues, the Expos saw his ceiling and promoted him to the big leagues on September 15, 1988, after a strong season with the Indianapolis Indians.

Johnson’s debut came as a reliever on September 16, 1988, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings, striking out two and walking none—a promising first impression. He made three more appearances that September, finishing the year with a 0.00 ERA over 3⅓ innings. But the Expos knew his future was as a starter. The following spring, Johnson competed for a spot in the rotation and earned it, breaking camp as a starting pitcher for the 1989 season. However, his first few starts were rough: through his first four outings, he was 0–2 with a 7.84 ERA, walking 12 batters in 20⅔ innings. The talent was there, but the consistency was not.

Then came May 28, 1989, a Sunday afternoon in San Francisco that would change the trajectory of Johnson’s career.

The First Major League Win

The game took place at Candlestick Park, the notoriously windy and chilly home of the San Francisco Giants. The Giants were in first place in the National League West, while the Expos were struggling to stay above .500. Montreal manager Buck Rodgers gave the ball to the 25-year-old left-hander, hoping he could finally harness his live arm. The Giants countered with right-hander Mike LaCoss, a journeyman who had already won five games that season.

Johnson took the mound in the bottom of the first inning and immediately showed a new level of command. He retired the Giants in order, striking out future Hall of Famer Will Clark looking on a 97-mph fastball that painted the outside corner. In the second inning, Johnson worked around a two-out walk, inducing a groundout from Terry Kennedy to end the threat. The Expos gave him a 1–0 lead in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Tim Wallach. Johnson responded with his best inning of the day, striking out the side in the bottom of the third.

The real test came in the fourth. With Montreal leading 2–0, Johnson allowed a leadoff single to Kevin Mitchell, then walked Matt Williams to put two on with no outs. He bore down, getting Robby Thompson to fly out, then struck out Jose Uribe looking. Mike LaCoss, the opposing pitcher, grounded to short to end the inning. Johnson pumped his fist as he walked off the mound—a rare display of emotion for the usually stoic young pitcher.

The Expos added a run in the fifth, and Johnson cruised through the middle innings. By the seventh, he was still throwing in the mid-90s, and his slider was biting sharper than it had all season. He retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth, running his strikeout total to ten. In the ninth, he allowed a leadoff single to Brett Butler, but got Will Clark to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Robby Thompson then flied out to center field to end the game.

Final score: Montreal Expos 3, San Francisco Giants 0. Johnson pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out ten. It was his first major league win, and it could not have been more dominant.

Key Moments of the Game

  • Fastball command – Johnson’s fastball consistently registered between 95 and 98 mph, and he located it to both sides of the plate. In previous starts, his fastball often ran up and out of the zone; on this day it stayed down in the strike zone, generating weak contact and swinging strikes.
  • Slider as a putaway pitch – Six of his ten strikeouts came on his slider. He threw it at 88-90 mph with late, sharp break that left left-handed hitters swinging over it and right-handed hitters bailing out of the box. The pitch became his signature weapon later in his career, and this game was the first time he used it as a truly dominant tool.
  • Defensive support – The Expos turned three double plays behind him, including the game-clinching 6-4-3 in the ninth. Center fielder Otis Nixon made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Kevin Mitchell of extra bases in the sixth.
  • Mental toughness – After walking Matt Williams in the fourth, Johnson could have unraveled as he had in previous starts. Instead, he struck out the next two batters and induced a groundout, showing the poise that would become a hallmark of his career.

After the game, Johnson told reporters, “I felt like I could throw anything I wanted. The fastball was there, the slider was there, and my mechanics felt great. It’s the first time everything clicked.” Expos catcher Nelson Santovenia, who caught the shutout, added, “I’ve never seen him throw like that. He was almost unhittable.” (Baseball-Reference game log for Randy Johnson, 1989 season)

The Road to 303 Wins

Johnson’s first win was not immediately followed by a string of dominance. He finished the 1989 season with a 2–7 record and a 5.66 ERA, still struggling with control (he walked 81 batters in 136⅔ innings). But that game in San Francisco gave the Expos—and Johnson himself—a tangible reminder of what was possible. It was a blueprint for success: when he threw strikes with his fastball and used the slider as a finishing pitch, he could overpower any lineup.

The next season, Johnson began to put things together. In 1990, he went 10–11 with a 3.46 ERA and struck out 188 batters in 198⅔ innings. He walked only 71 batters, a dramatic improvement. The Expos traded him to the Seattle Mariners in 1991 (along with Mark Langston) in a deal that sent three players to Montreal. It was a trade that would change the American League: Johnson won the AL Cy Young Award in 1995, leading the Mariners to the playoffs, and then went on to win four more Cy Young Awards with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Developing the Slider

While Johnson’s fastball was always elite, it was his slider—often called “Mr. Snappy”—that made him unhittable. In an interview with MLB.com, Johnson credited his time in Montreal with helping him refine the pitch. “I could throw it for strikes or bury it in the dirt. Once I learned to control it, I knew I could get anyone out.” The pitch became so devastating that he won the 2001 World Series co-MVP (with Curt Schilling) while striking out 372 batters that season.

Overcoming Control Issues

Johnson’s early career was defined by wildness. In 1989, he walked 5.3 batters per nine innings. By 1993, that number had dropped to 3.5. It wasn’t just mechanical adjustments—it was a mental shift, one that began on May 28, 1989, when he proved to himself that he could dominate without walking the ballpark. Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver once said, “The difference between a good pitcher and a great one is learning to win when you don’t have your best stuff. Randy learned that lesson early.”

The Significance of the Win

The first major league win is often just a footnote for long-career pitchers. For Randy Johnson, it was the moment the raw talent began to align with execution. The complete-game shutout was a sign of things to come—but it was also a rare achievement for a pitcher who would go on to throw only 37 complete games in his entire career (he often threw so many pitches that managers were reluctant to let him finish). The fact that his first win was a shutout underscored the explosive nature of his talent.

Beyond the personal significance, the win had implications for the Montreal Expos. They were a small-market team that struggled to retain stars, and Johnson’s potential made him a valuable trade chip. He was dealt in 1991, but his departure helped fuel a culture of developing young arms—a philosophy that later produced Pedro Martínez, Carl Pavano, and others. For the Giants, the game was a reminder that even the best lineups can be neutralized by a pitcher who is on his game. The 1989 Giants would go on to win the NL pennant and lose in the earthquake-interrupted World Series to the Oakland Athletics.

Impact on His Career and Baseball

  • Confidence catalyst – Johnson often referred to that start as the moment he realized he belonged in the big leagues. Before, he had been overthinking mechanics; after, he trusted his stuff.
  • Blueprint for future dominance – The pitch mix and approach he used against the Giants became the template for his entire career: hard fastballs up in the zone to set up sliders down and away.
  • Historical context – Johnson’s first win came in an era of high offense (the late ’80s/early ’90s saw league-wide batting averages around .260). His ability to shut down a potent Giants lineup (which included Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell, and Matt Williams) was a statement.
  • Inspiration for younger players – Johnson was known for seeking advice from veteran pitchers like Nolan Ryan. His own journey from wild starter to Hall of Famer is a lesson in perseverance and skill development.

Legacy and Influence

Randy Johnson finished his career with 303 wins, a 3.29 ERA, and 4,875 strikeouts (third all-time). He won five Cy Young Awards, including four in a row from 1999 to 2002. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015 on his first ballot. Every achievement traces back to the foundation laid in games like that May afternoon in San Francisco.

The Big Unit’s Place in History

Johnson is often compared to Sandy Koufax, another left-handed power pitcher with a relatively late arrival to greatness. Like Koufax, Johnson struggled with control early before becoming unhittable. But Johnson’s longevity (22 seasons) and his peak (1999–2002, when he went 81–27 with a 2.48 ERA and 1,372 strikeouts) place him in a class by himself. His first win was the first step on a path that included a perfect game (2004), a World Series ring (2001), and one of the most iconic moments in baseball history—the bird-destroying fastball in a spring training game (though that came much later).

Today, the game’s most overpowering left-handers—such as Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale, and Jacob deGrom—owe a debt to the template Johnson created. First wins matter because they mark the start of a journey. For Randy Johnson, that first win was not just a win. It was a revelation of what was possible when talent, preparation, and execution came together.

For more on Randy Johnson’s career statistics, visit his Baseball-Reference page. To read about his Hall of Fame induction, see the National Baseball Hall of Fame profile. For a deeper dive into the 1989 Expos season, check the MLB.com historical archives.