One pitcher had dominant, perfect-game level stuff for five innings, and the other had winning-level shutout stuff for seven innings.
It was the latter of the two pitchers, the guy who seems to think that a mustache makes him look a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, won the duel of power arms.
Pitching for the first time since a spasm in his lower back forced him out of the first inning July 12 in Anaheim, Seattle left-hander James Paxton erased any doubts about his back becoming a lingering probable and provided a serious reminder about his place in the Mariners’ rotation hierarchy, which is at the top.