One more look above, at our video of newly-converted Mariners "fan'' John Loef, 19, a kineseology student at Santa Monica Junior College, who caught that third inning fly ball and got ejected from Angel Stadium for his effort, The Mariners don't have too many Jeffrey Maier, or Steve Bartman legends. So, might as well settle for this guy.

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Anyhow, Carlos Silva was quickly becoming legendary for his inability to get any wins to his credit in Seattle. He'd had just one over the past calendar year and that came last July. As we told you earlier today, Las Vegas oddsmakers had made the Angels the favorites against seemingly all reason. Well, the Mariners hung on for a 9-8 win and Silva was credited with the victory in an outing that was tough, if not spectacular.

it turns out Silva felt some stiffness behind his shoulder during pre-game warm-ups.

He gritted through the early innings, taking that 3-0 lead into the third. He gave up a pair of runs that frame after the controversial Gary Matthews Jr. fly ball and Loef's catch in the stands, then the delay when umpires used instant replay to uphold the on-field ruling of fan interference and a ground-ruled double.

Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu had contemplated removing Silva at that point. But to hear Silva tell it, the manager might have faced some resistence. Just a tad, that's my guess.

"I was throwing a hard game and thank God he gave me an opportunity to at least finish off five innings,'' he said. "I know I didn't have to do this, but I wanted to show my team that they are very important for me and I'd do anything to help this team out. That was very important to me that Wakamatsu allowed me to finish at least five innings.''

Silva said he thought Wakamatsu had already made the call to the bullpen in the third inning. He isn't sure what convinced the manager to leave him in.

"I don't know whether he saw my face, that I wanted to stay in the game, but it was so important for me,'' he said. "If he'd taken me out of that game in that inning, I don't know what my reaction would be or how I was going to feel. It would be hard.''

Silva insists it wasn't a matter of his getting the victory. Only going the minimal five frames for a 12-6 team that's opened up a 5 1/2-game lead on the injury-devasted Angels.

"The way we're playing, the way the team is right now, you want to feel and you want to be a part of this team,'' he said. "You know what I mean? You don't want to miss anything. This is what I feel right now.

"My team looks at me like I'm a big part of the team. They want me to do good, they want me to help this team and that's the way i feel, too. I don't want to let my team down. No matter if I'm hurt, no matter what.''

Wakamatsu said of Silva's shoulder: "I don't think it's anything serious, but it felt it quite a bit those last two innings. But he wouldn't let me take him out. He battled, and that's a credit to him.

"Obviously, I think it's big for him. It's big for the club. When we had an opportunity to maybe take him out there, he pleaded with me that he wanted to do whatever he could for this club. And again, I keep saying how much this guy cares. And to go out there and really pitch with some tightness in his upper back for a couple of innings showed a lot.''

Brandon Morrow wasn't available tonight, as he felt some shoulder stiffness as well. It apparently cropped up yesterday.

"We just did not want to use him tonight and make sure it's nothing serious,'' he said.

David Aardsma gave up the two-run homer in the ninth to Torii Hunter, then nearly had Kendry Morales hit one out to tie it. But the ball was caught at the warning track by Endy Chavez.

Aardsma insisted he wasn't all that worried by the Morales shot.

"off the bat, I knew Hunter's was gone, I knew he killed it,'' he said. "I know him too well. I've faced him too many times. But when (Morales) hit it off the bat, I thought it was exactly what it was going to be -- a deep fly ball out. At no point did I go 'Oh my gosh! Watch it!' I thought it was going to be out the whole way. I'll tell you what, it got pretty close.''

Not close enough, though. The Mariners are a win away from sweeping here and putting the Angels in a serious early-season hole. I mean, a half-dozen game lead in April? Who out there would have dreamed that three weeks ago? If you did, Vegas could use your help.