On a day when John Means announced himself as an ace with a no-hitter (and near perfect game), another left-hander made his pitch to rejoin those ranks.

True, Robbie Ray allowed three earned runs in his six innings of work at Oakland, but for a third straight start, he walked nobody. It's a big development for a pitcher with 4.3 BB/9 for his career, including 7.8 BB/9 last year.

And it's not the only improvement he's made.