It took a little time, some tribulation, a few injury stints, some fingernail hardener, a new arm slot and a newfound nasty streak. But the James Paxton that the Mariners and their fans once dreamily projected following the brilliant outings in September of 2013 may have finally arrived in April of 2017.
Paxton delivered his third scoreless outing of the season, shutting down the Rangers for eight innings and leading the Mariners to an easy 5-0 win on Saturday night.
For the first time this season, Seattle (4-8) has won back-to-back games and it guarantees the team’s first series win.