Strasburg named NL Pitcher of the Month

By Dan Kolko

Nationals

May 02, 2012, 1:47pm

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Three, or possibly even four, different Nationals starters could have legitimately won National League Pitcher of the Month honors and no one would have blinked an eye. Only one guy could actually take home the honor, however. And that guy is Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg has been named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA, 34 strikeouts and just six walks in five April starts. The 23-year-old righty allowed just four earned runs over his five starts (all of which were quality starts), and finished off his stellar April by throwing seven innings against the Dodgers, allowing just one run with no walks and nine strikeouts. The Nats ace headlines a starting staff which had a 1.78 ERA in April, which is the best opening-month ERA posted by a major league club since the 1978 A's put up a 1.75 ERA. Jordan Zimmerman (1-1, 1.33 ERA, 16 strikeouts, two walks in 27 April innings) also received votes for the honor. Strasburg is the first National to earn Pitcher of the Month honors since Chad Cordero won it back in June of 2005.