Randy to pitch opener

In a shock move, the Yankees staff announced southpaw Randy Johnson as the opening night starter against the Boston Red Sox on April 3.

41 year-old Johnson came to the Yankees if the off-season and has just about won a spot in the starting rotation. Joe Torre though has yet to name the order behind Johnson, and with the abundence of off days early in the season, they may still go with a four-man rotation for the first fortnight. Mike Mussina is all but guarenteed the #2 spot but the other spots are still unclear.

Johnson pitched superbly yesterday as he dominated the Braves through six innings, striking out eight batters on the way. Mariano also pitched another scoreless inning as he tries to play catch-up after a week on the sidelines with a sore elbow.