"After Randy Johnson recorded victory No. 300, after he tipped his cap and hugged his family and soaked in a standing ovation, it was hard to conjure a similar milestone played under worse conditions, with less fanfare.

Johnson pitched Thursday at Nationals Park in front of a sparse crowd whose members carried umbrellas and wore ponchos. He pitched in both light and pelting rain. He left after 6 innings and 78 pitches because of his "senior moment," a diving throw that bruised his shoulder.

After some 21 seasons and more than 22 hours of rain delays, Johnson celebrated his milestone victory and the San Francisco Giants' 5-1 win over Washington inside a cramped office in the visitors' clubhouse, gobbling a slice of pizza. His teammates could not even toast the man they call Big Unit. They had to play the second game of a doubleheader.

"It's amazing," said his teammate Tim Lincecum, a Cy Young Award winner who cannot yet fathom 300 victories. "The only 300 I can see at this point in my career is the movie."

Johnson became the 24th pitcher and sixth left-hander to reach the milestone. He did so against the franchise that drafted him in 1985. (The Nationals were the Montreal Expos then.)

The first attempt at No. 300 has often gone poorly for those who attempt it. The last six pitchers to reach 300 victories all needed at least two attempts, while some needed up to five.

Tom Seaver was the last pitcher to win 299 and 300 on consecutive starts. That was back in 1985, three years before Johnson's major league career began.

Afterward, Johnson considered his place in history. He spoke reverently of the pitchers with more victories, more strikeouts, the greats who came before. Yet Johnson also admitted he could not shake one thought.

"I only have 211 more to catch Cy Young," he said."