Rangers SP Martín Pérez named AL Pitcher of the Month
It was a great month for Texas Rangers starting pitcher Martín Pérez, the newest Pitcher of the Month in the American League.
Announced on Friday, it's the first time that Pérez has taken home the award and what a month to do it as he had arguably the best month in his career.
Pérez went 4-0 in May with a 0.64 ERA, striking out 33 batters over 42.1 innings pitched while walking just nine.
He gave up just three earned runs in six starts, lowering his season ERA to 1.42, and in those six starts, the Rangers went 6-0.
Pérez is the first Rangers starter since Matt Harrison in June 2012 to be named AL Pitcher of the Month.
That month, Harrison went 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA, throwing a complete game shutout and giving up just six earned runs over 42 innings pitched.
According to a Rangers press release put out on Friday, his 0.64 ERA was the lowest of any AL pitcher with at least 40 innings pitched in a month since then-Minnesota Twins starter Johan Santana in September 2004.
Santana posted a 0.45 that month as he went on to win his first career AL Cy Young award and first of two in a three-year span.
As of Friday, Pérez has the lowest ERA in MLB at 1.42 and in his last eight starts, he's thrown at least six innings while giving up one run or less.
After splitting a four-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Rangers host the Seattle Mariners for a three-game weekend set. Texas currently sits at 24-26 on the year.
