PHOENIX -- Randy Johnson took another large step on his road to Cooperstown on Thursday night, tying Roger Clemens for second place on the all-time list of career strikeouts.

With his ninth strikeout of the night against the Giants and No. 4,672 of his career.

Johnson tied Clemens with his third strikeout of Daniel Ortmeier, leading off the seventh, earning him his first roar from the Chase Field crowd of 21,037.

That might not have been the end of the Big Unit's milestone march of the evening: He held a 3-2 lead for what would be the 289th win of his career, breaking his tie with Tommy John for No. 25 on that all-time list.

Nolan Ryan sits safely atop the career list for strikeouts, with 5,714.

The Big Unit started off with a bang, with strikeouts of Jose Castillo and Aaron Rowand to end the first inning.

He ended the second by blowing a third strike past Omar Vizquel, made it three straight by ringing up John Bowker and Ortmeier to start the third and weathered a rugged fourth before ending it on another strikeout of Ortmeier.

Johnson sailed through the fifth without adding to his strikeout total but continued blazing in the sixth.

Vizquel, going down on the front end of a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play, was notch No. 7. Next, Bowker was No. 8.