About Last Night: The ace we’ve been waiting for

In my mind, there’s a difference between a good pitcher and an ace.

A good pitcher is someone you want on the mound. When you’re scanning the upcoming pitching probables, he’s a name that you’re happy to see. He’s got a pretty dang good pitch, and a few decent secondaries, he can give you five or six solid innings, and he’ll put you in a good enough spot to win.

But that’s the thing — he’s good, not great.

An ace, now that is a thing to behold. Think King Félix Hernández, taking the mound every five games to his own cheering section. Remember the confidence you had when the King was in? Remember that streak of “ultra-quality starts” (7+ IP, <2 ER allowed) that he went on? Remember how other…