Randy Johnson tantalized the crowd, taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. More importantly, he gave the Yankees’ broken-down pitching rotation a dominant win.

Johnson pitched two-hit ball for eight innings and struck out 11, leading the Yankees over the Minnesota Twins 4-0 last night.

Johnson (11-6), who matched his season strikeout high, showed no signs of the minor back pain that caused the Yankees to cut short his start in Anaheim last week. He hit Shannon Stewart with his second pitch of the game, then got Nick Punto to ground into a double play, getting 17 straight outs until Juan Castro bounced a single up the middle with two outs in the sixth, past the Big Unit and a few feet beyond the outstretched glove of shortstop Derek Jeter.

Fans applauded and Johnson adjusted his cap twice, perhaps giving an ever-so-slight tip. Minnesota didn’t get another hit until Lew Ford’s double to left-center with one out in the eighth.

Johnson reached double digits in strikeouts for the third time this season and 207th in his career, trailing only Nolan Ryan (215). Tom Gordon followed with a hitless ninth.

Alex Rodriguez hit a second-inning homer off Brad Radke (6-10), who was uncharacteristically wild and lost for the sixth time in seven decisions.

Radke, whose 0.7 walks per nine innings coming in were second in the major leagues to teammate Carlos Silva, walked two, hit two batters, and threw a wild pitch, allowing two runs and five hits in six innings.

Radke, 4-10 against New York during the regular season, hit two batters in a game for just the third time in his career.

Minnesota, a potential competitor along with the Yankees for the AL wildcard berth, dropped to 5-8 since the All-Star break and has scored just 43 runs during that span.

Rodriguez was just 8-for-43 (.186) in the regular season against Radke coming in, but four of the hits were homers. He led off the second inning with a drive that landed over the center-field fence. Rodriguez has 28 home runs, tied with Boston’s Manny Ramirez for the AL lead.

Jason Giambi, who leads the AL in on-base percentage and reached three times, walked with two outs, went to third on Bernie Williams’s single, and scored on Tino Martinez’s groundout.

Hideki Matsui added a two-run single in the seventh off left-hander J.C. Romero after New York loaded the bases against Jesse Crain.

Minnesota was shut out for the fifth time this season, one more than last year.

***

Kevin Brown was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday because of his bad back and Carl Pavano’s return from a shoulder injury was pushed back, leaving the Yankees uncertain about two turns in their rotation this week.

Brown was on the disabled list from June 18 to July 18, then allowed 13 runs in 7 2/3 innings over starts at Texas and the L.A. Angels, getting a no-decision and a loss.

Yankees manager Joe Torre said yesterday that Brown wouldn’t pitch until Brown’s doctor and team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon talk with each other and come up with a plan.

“We’re sort of just holding right now until the doctors give us the go-ahead,” Torre said.

Pavano, who hasn’t pitched since June 27 because of a sore right shoulder, is to make a rehabilitation start today in the Gulf Coast League and throw 65-70 pitches. New York originally hoped he would start Saturday against the Angels.

“We want him back 100% and ready to go and right” general manager Brian Cashman said. “We can’t afford to stub our toe right now.”

Jaret Wright, out since April 23 with a strained right shoulder, is to make his first rehab start Saturday, also for the Gulf Coast Yankees. The Yankees might use him in relief.

“He could maybe come back sooner and help us out of the ‘pen,’ “Cashman said. “He’s come a long way.”

Chien-Ming Wang, on the DL since July 9 with an inflamed right shoulder, is to start throwing on flat ground Monday at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla.

“He’s got a long way to go,” Cashman said.

Cashman wouldn’t address whether the Yankees had any interest in signing pitcher Hideo Nomo, released by Tampa Bay this week.