Tigers 6 – Yanks (ss) 1

TAMPA – As the Yankees’ infield was turning a double play to end the fourth inning, Randy Johnson raised both arms toward heaven as he walked off the mound.

Yes, it’s only spring training. And the games don’t count.

And the pitchers are here to get their work in. And . . . well, you know the drill.

Yet, to a competitor like Johnson, between the lines always means something.

In fact, he said yesterday, the only real joy he gets out of the game now is when he is on the hill.

So, it made no difference that the double play was made at Legends Field in early March during a game that would end in a 6-1 loss to the Tigers.

It got Johnson out of a jam that could have made his second-start numbers real ugly.

“There is no doubt that when I cross the lines, the only day I live for is pitching,” said Johnson, who gave up five runs (two earned) and seven hits in four innings.

“The other days I don’t enjoy as much anymore, as much as I did. I am still very competitive and I still enjoy pitching. That’s the only thing that I enjoy about the game now.”

At 42, Johnson has been through enough spring trainings to know numbers don’t begin to tell the entire story.

And yesterday, three of the runs were unearned because center fielder Kevin Thompson lost Kody Kirkland’s two-out fly ball to center, which went for a four-base error and three unearned tallies.

Yet, Johnson also realizes mistakes in March are mistakes. And one of them, an 0-2 pitch to Chris Shelton, left the park with a runner on in the first inning. It was the second time in as many outings Johnson was hurt by a mistake.

“In order to be successful, you have to change speeds and hit spots and at times today I did that,” said Johnson, whose velocity increased to 94-to-95 mph.

“Two mistakes I have made have cost me home runs. I get a guy (Edwin Encarnacion) 1-2 in my first start and I’m not able to elevate a fastball and it’s a home run. Get 0-2 this, time and throw another pitch and that’s a home run. So, I’m not executing my pitches.

“But that’s what spring training for me is for, to realize after you have thrown two sliders for strikes, the third one, if you are going to throw one, needs to be in the dirt. These are the things I take out of my performance, whether they are good or bad.”

Unless Joe Torre sees his ace in the trainer’s room nursing an injury, Torre is going to ignore Johnson’s spring training statistics.

“He had a good warmup and was a little inconsistent with location, but the most important thing with me, for all the starting pitchers, is how they feel, and he felt fine,” Torre said of Johnson, who has given up five earned runs and 10 hits in seven innings.

“For me, spring training is all about getting in shape and you gear it up concentration-wise for the last two (starts).”

Still, Johnson understands people want him to dominate whenever they watch him throw.

“When I cross the line I’m not trying to kid anybody,” Johnson said. “People pay to see results. I’m not ready to throw the way I’m going to throw midseason.

“But when you cross the lines, you want to throw like everybody wants to see you throw. But it takes time.”

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Pitch and moan

Here’s a look at Randy Johnson’s struggles in his two starts this spring:

Appearance IP H ER BB SO

Saturday vs. Cin 3 3 3 1 2

Yesterday vs. Det. 4 7 2 1 3