SEATTLE _ Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais had but modest ambitions for James Paxton, making his first start in nearly a month.
"My expectations are very tempered by the fact that I don't expect him to go out there and shut somebody out, give up two hits and punch out eight or 10," Servais said before the game.
OK, those were the expectations.
But these were the results: three hits, six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in the Mariners' 5-0 win Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. That's four straight wins for the Mariners, including three straight against the first-place Rockies, but this was as much about Paxton as the result.
The Mariners are in desperate need of starting pitching. Injuries have softened their rotation, leaving journeymen and minor-league call ups to fill in, and before his injury, Paxton was pitching like an ace.
Servais acknowledged that Paxton's return would be a boost for the "whole club," but otherwise he tried to keep mild expectations. Paxton hadn't pitched in the big leagues since May 2 because of a forearm strain, so a little rust was expected, even normal.
Servais said he just wanted to see Paxton temper his adrenaline, throw strikes, keep the game moving, hopefully get through five or six innings.
Instead, Paxton looked pretty much like the same guy from before. His fastball touched 98 mph on his third pitch. He retired the first eight batters he faced. He threw strikes on 28 of his first 32 pitches _ an impressive ratio any time but even more so considering his layoff.
Paxton did not walk a single batter. He actually only gave up one hit through five innings _ and that one hit was a soft infield single in the third inning. That runner advanced to second on a throwing error from third baseman Kyle Seager, his sixth of the season, and moved to third on a balk from Paxton.
But Paxton got Charlie Blackmon, one of the National League's most productive hitters, to ground out to end the inning.
Paxton didn't give up another hit until the sixth inning and only after he first registered his sixth strikeout. He gave up back-to-back singles with one out, at which point Servais decided to pull him. Paxton threw 74 pitches.
He walked off the field to a standing ovation, a gesture for his performance as much as his presence; it was just good that he was back. Paxton waved his glove and tipped his cap.
Steve Cishek entered the game and got two weak pop outs to end the sixth inning.
The Mariners gave Paxton run support with three runs in the second inning. Danny Valencia delivered a two-run double and Mike Zunino also scored Valencia with a double of his own. Zunino had his third straight multi-hit game.
The Mariners also tacked on a run in the fifth inning courtesy of a Ben Gamel single and one more in the seventh on a Gamel sacrifice fly.
But the night belonged to Paxton. It was his the moment the Mariners announced he would start, because Paxton is as important as anyone in determining what kind of season the Mariners have.
For a post-injury debut, it couldn't have gone much better.
