Cubs’ Yu Darvish named National League Pitcher of the Month

New York – Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish won National League Pitcher of the Month honors for July and August, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.

Darvish has a 6-1 record with a 1.47 ERA in seven starts so far this season and has been touted as a potential Cy Young Award candidate because of his high-quality performances to start the shortened regular season.

He becomes the first Japanese pitcher to win the award in either the NL or the American League since the New York Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka took the AL honor in May 2014, and the fourth Japanese pitcher overall. Hideo Nomo and Hideki Irabu each won twice.

Darvish was dominant in August, winning all five of his starts while posting a 1.09 ERA and 1.03 walks plus hits per innings pitched while striking out 40 batters in 33 innings. He reached double-digit strikeouts in a start twice.

Darvish is currently tied for the MLB lead with six wins and has the second-lowest ERA in MLB.

The Cleveland Indians right-hander Shane Bieber took the American League honor, with a 6-0 record and 1.20 ERA in July and August.

Source : Baseball – The Japan Times