Quick Trip Down Pitcher Win Lane

Quick trip down Pitcher Win Lane . . .

Stephen Strasburg authored eight innings of dominance against Pittsburgh, allowing a run on two hits, no walks and 12 strikeouts. He took the loss despite Washington's two-spot in the bottom of the ninth because his relievers got pummeled in the top of the ninth.

Strasburg delivered the best pitching performance of the day. And his record says he failed.

So did Minnesota's Mike Pelfrey, who held the Angels to a run and five hits in six innings. Choker. He should have known his team wouldn't score when he allowed that first-inning run.

In Houston,  Bud Norris and Oakland's A.J. Griffin each allowed three runs in six-and-a-third. Griffin got the win. Norris, no decision. Different results for equal work? Not even.

Griffin's line appears as it does because his bullpen averted further damage in the seventh. Norris's performance was tarnished by reliever Travis Blackley, who allowed a two-run Coco Crisp homer that brought home a Norris holdout from the basepaths.

So the better performance earned a no-decision. The weaker performance earned a win. If by "earned" you mean absolutely nothing like its dictionary definition.