It has been 50 years since Sandy Koufax last pitched in the major leagues, but his legacy still looms large, as vast as the sun that shines over Dodger Stadium on a cloudless Southern California afternoon. Indeed, in our #MLBRank of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all time, this was the order of the top three:1. Sandy Koufax 2. Randy Johnson 3. Clayton KershawI suppose that order isnt even necessarily so controversial -- I suspect some might scoff at Kershaw, just 125 wins into his superlative career, ranking ahead of the likes of Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton and Lefty Grove -- but Im here to suggest this: I believe the panel is wrong.Sandy Koufax, mythological figure and all, isnt the greatest left-hander of all time.The declaration for Koufax as best ever rests with his five-year run of dominance that ended in 1966 with his retirement at the peak of his powers, no longer willing to endure the cortisone shots to dull the pain in his elbow.To take a shot every other ballgame is more than I wanted to do and to walk around with a constant upset stomach because of the pills and to be high half the time during a ballgame because youre taking painkillers, I dont want to have to do that, he said at his retirement announcement.Lets start here, and with apologies to Spahn, Carlton and the criminally underrated Grove, compare our top three guys and their best five-year runs:In those five seasons, Koufax led the National League in ERA all years. In two of those seasons, he missed some time with injuries, but in the other three he topped 300 innings and compiled win-loss records of 25-5, 26-8 and 27-9, win totals that seem almost unfathomable in todays games of pitch counts and five-man rotations and quick hooks for starters.Its an impressive record, no doubt; Koufax won three Cy Young Awards and an MVP award (and finished second in two other votes). In 1963, he threw 11 shutouts. In 1965, he struck out 382 batters and held batters to .179 average while throwing 27 complete games -- more than Kershaw has thrown in his career.It was, of course, a different era, a good era for pitchers, and few places were better to pitch than Dodger Stadium, then notorious for the highest mound in baseball. Koufaxs ascent in 1962 to the best pitcher in the game coincided not just with a sudden improvement in his control, but with the opening of Dodger Stadium. And Koufax loved Dodger Stadium. His home/road splits from 1962-1966:Home: 57-15, 1.37 ERARoad: 54-19, 2.57 ERAHe was most extreme in 1964, when he posted 0.85 at home and 2.93 on the road. Despite the ERA difference, note that there wasnt a large difference in win-loss record. Dodger Stadium was simply a tough place to hit, and Koufax took advantage of that. He could allow more runs on the road yet still win games. Thats where the ERA+ figure above comes in. That number attempts to adjust for home park effects and the overall run-scoring environment of the league. So while Johnson has the highest ERA of the three, he has the best adjusted ERA (higher is better). Its close, but Koufaxs domination is now put into a different perspective. Then we look at Wins Above Replacement, and Johnsons five-year total exceeds Koufaxs.Then the kicker: These arent even the five best seasons of Johnsons career. He won four straight NL Cy Young Awards with the Diamondbacks from 1999 to 2002, but 1998 -- when he was traded from the Mariners to the Astros -- was a ho-hum 19-11 season with a 3.28 ERA. In 1997, hed gone 20-4 with a 2.28 ERA. In the strike-shortened 1995 season, he went 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA.Even if you think Koufax had the best five-year peak, how can you rank him over Johnson, who had the same or better peak and a much longer career?On the other hand ... we still have the Koufax mythology, the World Series wins, electing not to pitch on Yom Kippur, the credit everyone seems to give him for the what if phase of the rest of his career that never happened. He started seven World Series games, with an 0.98 ERA. He lost three of those games, though he gave up a total of just three earned runs in those defeats. Most famously, he started Game 7 of the 1965 World Series on two days of rest and threw a three-hit shutout.Johnson, meanwhile, won three games in the 2001 World Series, but also struggled at times in the postseason and once went seven starts in a row without a win. Kershaw has his postseason apologists and while he was better in last years division series, he has yet to deliver that signature playoff performance that well be talking about 50 years later and is 2-6 with a 4.45 ERA in 10 starts.So theres something to the Koufax legend that matters beyond the statistics. We want those stories, we want performances to tell the next generations about, to remind them we love the game.So if you want Koufax as your No. 1 guy, I understand. But Johnson tops my list. Hes the greatest left-hander of all time.At least until we see what Kershaw does over the next decade. 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PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays were up five runs and three outs away from their third victory in four games following an 11-game skid.Then the Detroit Tigers steadily gained momentum in a ninth inning the Rays wont soon forget.Cameron Maybin capped a dramatic eight-run ninth with a tiebreaking three-run double, and the Tigers overcame the late deficit to beat the Rays 10-7 on Thursday night.That was one contagious inning for them, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.Detroit trailed 7-2 entering the ninth and opened the inning with four consecutive hits off Ryan Garton, including Victor Martinezs RBI single.I was just hoping the snowball would keep rolling down the hill, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.Erasmo Ramirez (7-7) replaced Garton and allowed Justin Uptons run-scoring single, Steven Moyas sacrifice fly and an RBI single to Jarrod Saltalamacchia that made it 7-6Jose Iglesias drew a walk to load the bases, and Ian Kinsler got another free pass on a 3-2 pitch to tie it 7-7.Awful work from me, Ramirez said.Maybins drive to left-center cleared the bases to put Detroit up 10-7.The meltdown matched the Rays largest ninth-inning blown lead.Its a bummer, Rays reliever Matt Andriese said.Garton entered after Andriese went three scoreless innings.Cash said he didnt really consider having Andriese return for the ninth.You have a five-run lead, Cash said. We have pitchers capable of going out and getting the job done.Winner Anibal Sanchez (5-8) gave up two runs in two innings. Francisco Rodriguez got the final three outs for his 22nd save.Nick Franklin had a three-run pinch-hit double during a four-run third inning for the Rays.Franklin pinch hit for Desmond Jennings with the bases loaded and put the Rays up 5-0 on an opposite-fieldd flare to left that landed in front of Upton and took a strange bounce past the outfielder.ddddddddddddTampa Bays Jake Odorizzi gave up two runs, three hits, three walks and struck out seven in five-plus innings.Jordan Zimmermann allowed five runs and nine hits in six innings for the Tigers.TRAINERS ROOMRays: Jennings departed with left hamstring tightness. ... LF Corey Dickerson was back after missing three games with a sore left thumb. ... OF Oswaldo Arcia was the DH after missing Wednesdays game due to flu-like symptoms. ... RHP Alex Colome (right biceps tendinitis) played catch at 90 feet. ... RHP Brad Boxberger (left oblique) threw 15 fastballs during his first bullpen session.SIMULATED POWERRays RF Steven Souza Jr. (strained left hip) hit two long homers and went 5 for 9 in a simulated game Thursday. Souza, scheduled to start a rehab assignment Friday with Class A Charlotte, went deep off Alex Cobb and Chase Whitley, who are both coming back from Tommy John surgery. Feel bad for them, Souza said with a smile. Theyll be all right. Souza and Franklin had back-to-back homers during a one-inning stint against Whitley, who did make a nice play in catching Souzas foul pop-up. Cobb threw 36 pitches over two innings and could start a rehab assignment next week.UP NEXTTigers: RHP Michael Fulmer (7-2) looks to extend his stretch of allowing one run or fewer over eight consecutive starts Friday night against the Rays. His current seven-game run ties Justin Verlander (2011) and Al Benton (1945) for the longest by a Tigers pitcher since 1913.Rays: LHP Drew Smyly (2-8) seeks to end a seven-start winless streak. ' ' '