In pitching four scoreless innings against Seattle, McCarthy displayed superb command of his fastball and showed off his new slider with panache. He was only supposed to throw three innings or 50 pitches, but because he was so effective at getting ahead of hitters -- he threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of 13 Mariners -- his pitch count was low enough after three innings to send him out for a fourth. Even after a perfect fourth, he was still a handful of pitches away from reaching his limit.

When McCarthy was done, the scouts took turns trying to top each other in lauding his performance.

"The best breaking ball I've ever seen him throw," said one.

"You can call it a 'slider' or you can call it a 'slurve' (slider/curveball hybrid)," the other responded. "But whatever you do, call it an above-average pitch. It was very, very good."

The slider -- or slurve -- has been a spring-long project for McCarthy, who has shelved dreams of throwing one dramatic, tumbling curveball after another for the time being. He had been delayed slightly from showing it off by a slight shoulder twinge. That forced him out of one "A" game start.

In concert with a more commandable fastball, the slider has gotten McCarthy off to an impressive spring. In the Seattle game, he struck out the first two batters by getting ahead with a fastball that consistently ranged from 90-92 mph (one report had it touching 94) and darted to the lower outside corner of the plate, then coming back with the breaking pitch to put them off balance.

"I was able to get strike one with it, and that's important," McCarthy said. "I can't work up in the zone. I have to work on being more economical with my pitches. When you get up 0-and-1 in the count and can put the batter a little bit on the edge, you are going to have a real chance at being more efficient."