Johan Santana Wins Pitcher of the Month

Johan Santana has won the National League Pitcher of the Month Award for September. As reported on MLB.com, Santana finished the month 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA.

The left-hander will receive a specially-designed trophy to commemorate his Pitcher of the Month performance. Santana won that award five times for Minnesota in the American League when Ron Gardenhire was his manager.

“Believe me, they have the best pitcher in baseball,” Gardenhire said. “A stud, an athlete, the heart, the whole package.”

Santana, who had thrown 125 pitches in his previous start before facing the Marlins on short rest, was just the fifth pitcher since 2000 to post a complete game on three days’ rest.

“That’s the greatest performance I’ve ever seen on a baseball field,” left fielder Daniel Murphy said. “That was a game we had to have, and he dominated from start to finish. That’s something I’ll remember forever.”

In Saturday’s pressure cooker, Santana had both the will and the skill.

“That’s the way you take care of business,” Santana said.

Santana took care of business all month. In 44 1/3 innings, he allowed nine runs on 39 hits while fanning 47 and walking 13. The 29-year-old lefty didn’t allow more than two runs in any of his six starts and he recorded 10 strikeouts on both Sept. 1 at Milwaukee and Sept. 23 at Chicago.