Santana twirls MLB-leading 3rd shutout of the season
Ervin Santana put the Twins on his back Friday night in San Francisco both offensively and on the mound.
Not only did the Twins' No. 1 starter come through with an unexpected 3-run double, he also pitched his third complete-game shutout of the season as the Twins beat the Giants 4-0. He allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five, and he needed only 91 pitches all night.
Santana improved to 8-3 with a 2.20 ERA.
There have been 14 complete-game shutouts across Major League Baseball this season and Santana owns three of them. No other pitcher has more than one.
Look where the right-hander ranks in all of the important statistical categories among qualified starters.
- Innings: 1st (90.0)
- Hits: 1st (47)
- Earned runs: 3rd (22)
- Wins: 2nd (8)
- WHIP: 3rd (0.89)
- ERA: 3rd (2.20)
Basically, Santana's numbers are nearly identical with Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.
- Santana: 8-3, 2.20 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 90 innings
- Kershaw: 8-2, 2.20 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 90 innings
Last time we checked, Kershaw was pretty good.
