Mariners notebook: McClendon lets Felix be Felix and it pays off

SEATTLE, Wash.--It is always good to return from a couple of days off to a team coming off a win. I would go so far as to say a big win at that.

I don't call many wins big, especially this early in the season but the game Saturday had the feel of a game that you could look back on months from now and say that was a turning point, or maybe more precisely, a getting back on track game.

Early on the game looked like the four that preceded it. Early mistakes, missed opportunities, a bad call. Things did not appear to be going in the right direction.

Felix was on however. The quad he strained was still a factor but he pitched through it. He pitched six brilliant innings and let his manager know he…