At Lookout Landing, Jeff Sullivan counted 15 strikes that Felix threw, that he got ripped off on by the home plate ump. Meanwhile, James Shields suffered 0, according to LL. How many bad calls does it take to FIX a sporting event? Usually only three or four, as the 2005 Seahawks found out. When a couple of terrific, evenly-matched champions are slugging it out, a win or a loss is often a matter of luck on ONE play -- a double kicks up chalk or lands a foot foul, and that's the ballgame. Chuck Knox, after 900 years of coaching football, decided that a close football game is decided by five plays. You had to get four of the pivot plays to control the game. In baseball, the ref'ing doesn't have as much impact, not on any one call. But those who have competed against tough opponents will see that the point remains in powerful effect ... you're in a tight game in the 5th, and there are two on and two out, and the count is 2-2 to Manny, and you snap off a curve ball to strike him out .... whoops, the ump just takes the out away from you, and you're back on the hill, full count against Manny. ........................ This is one thing I've never understood about ML pitching: how you carefully work a guy to (1) two strikes, and then (2) freeze him for strike three, and (3) get jobbed, and (4) go on from there. What do you do, re-set yourself to plan the rest of the count... whereupon you have zero confidence that you'll get the killer strike called anyway? And it's not like the pitcher overmatches the hitter. A baseball pitcher is hoping that the batter hits it at somebody. For an Erik Bedard in his 0-2 defeat, you give up two runs not because you threw the wrong pitch; you give up two runs because a parachute popup falls where nobody's standing. Five days' work gone because the ball hit grass between three guys. ............................. Anyway: 1) You're facing one of the great young lineups in baseball, Felix. 2) We're going to get you exactly one run today, Felix. Throw a shutout, or lose. 3) We're going to make three errors in the field behind you, while you try. 4) The ump is going to job you not on three pitches, but on fifteen different pitches. .................................. Not only did Felix win under these circumstances, he was surgically cool in doing it. That's probably the most memorable non-Unit pitching performance I have seen in the Mariners' history. That and the swerveball game against Boston. If that's not an ace, somebody call Whitey Ford. ................................. I'd like to see a list of (otherwise) mediocre teams that were carried to the pennant by exactly two great pitchers. A couple just noodlin' around, in case somebody else wants to give a better list: The 1965 Dodgers had an 87 OPS+ while Koufax and Drysdale went 49-20, 2.40. The 60s Dodgers really were an example of an otherwise-mediocre team, carried to pennants by two starting pitchers. That was the day of 4-man rotations, of course. The 1975-77 Angels had Tanana, Ryan, and the rest of the team was poor. It wasn't enough. The 1946-48 Braves used to have The 1989 Dodgers had a team OPS+ of 90, winning the World Series behind Hershiser and Tim Leary, though Orel was about 70% of that two-man combo. This brings up the idea of a TITANIC season by either Felix or Bedard, with the other providing support.... You know what? The 2008 Phillies aren't a bad example of a two-ace champion. They had a 98 OPS+, had Hamels and Moyer combining for 30-17, 3.45, and a lukewarm pitching staff otherwise. The 2006 Cards had a 97 OPS+, 98 ERA+, and Chris Carpenter carried them. Well, that's a one-ace team. The 2006 Tigers are probably what M's fans have in mind: a 99 OPS+ ... Verlander and Bonderman ... surprisingly good pitching up-and-down the staff... and 95 wins. Cheers, Dr D