Santana tabbed NL Pitcher of Month
Sports Network | September 29, 2008
New York, NY (Sports Network) - New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for September on Monday.
Santana ended the Brewers' CC Sabathia's two-month reign by going 4-0 in six starts with a 1.83 earned run average during the final month of the season, including a stellar three-hit, nine-strikeout shutout on three days rest in the second to last day of the regular season to keep the Mets alive in the playoff race.
Though the lefty could not prevent New York from missing out on the postseason, Santana gave up a mere nine earned runs and fanned 47 in 44 1/3 innings during the stretch.
Santana backed up his lofty six-year, $137.5 million contract extension the Mets signed him to in the offseason after being traded away from the Twins. The 29-year-old finished 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA and 206 strikeouts in 234 1/3 innings.
This marked Santana's sixth monthly award and first in the NL.
Others receiving votes were: Houston's Roy Oswalt (5-1, 1.42 ERA, 30 SO) and Randy Wolf (4-1, 2.23 ERA, 28 SO), Philadelphia's Brad Lidge (13 SV, 0.71 ERA, 17 SO) and Jamie Moyer (4-0, 3.26 ERA, 17 SO), and the Dodgers' Derek Lowe (3-0, 0.59 ERA, 19 SO).
