Matt Harrison Selected As American League Pitcher Of The Month
By: Rangers Communications
Updated: July 2, 2012
Arlington, Texas -
Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher Matt Harrison has been voted the
American League Pitcher of the Month for June. Major League
Baseball made the announcement this afternoon. He was also a unanimous
selection as the Rangers Player of the Month for June, the first time he
has ever won either award in his career.
Harrison
is only the second Texas pitcher to win the A.L.'s monthly honor in the
last 14 seasons (1999-2012). Since Rick Helling won in September 1998,
the only other Ranger to take the award was Kenny Rogers in May 2005.
This marks just the fifth monthly honor for a Texas pitcher in the last
28 years since 1985, joining Bobby Witt (July 1990), Rogers (May 1995
and May 2005), and Helling (Sept. 1998).
Harrison
went 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA (6 ER/42.0 IP) over 6 starts last month,
holding opponents to a .224 average with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts.
His
5 wins were tied for the major league lead, tied for most in the A.L.
with Tampa Bay's David Price. His 1.29 ERA ranked second in the A.L.
and third in the majors. His 5 wins matched the club record for June,
done three other times: Jim Bibby in 1974, Gaylord
Perry in 1976, and Charlie Hough in 1983. He was the first Texas
pitcher with a 5-win month since Scott Feldman in August 2009(5).
Announced
as a first-time American League All-Star yesterday, Harrison has gone
11-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 16 starts for Texas this season. He is tied
for the league lead in wins and ranks among A.L. leaders in winning pct.
(6th, .786), innings (7th, 105.1) and ERA (8th). He has gone 7-0 with a
1.42 ERA over his last 8 starts, the longest win streak by any A.L.
pitcher this season and tied for the longest
in his career. He is the first Texas pitcher with at least 11 wins
prior to the All-Star break since Kenny Rogers (12) in 2004, just the
ninth Rangers pitcher ever with as many pre-break wins.
