Jesus Luzardo’s August was the kind of stretch that can change the feel of a rotation. While the Phillies were piling up 21 wins and getting more consistent offense from a steadier, more patient approach at the plate, Luzardo was dealing on the mound and taking a huge share of the load off everyone else.
That work earned him the National League Pitcher of the Month Award, making him the second Phillies pitcher to claim the honor this year. Cristopher Sanchez got it in May after his historic run in which he didn’t allow a single run.
Luzardo’s month was flat-out nasty. He made five starts in August and went 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA, logging 34.1 innings while striking out 46 and walking only seven.
He allowed just 21 hits, and only seven runs crossed the plate against him, with five earned. Opponents managed only a .172/.229/.295 slash line, along with a tOPS+ of 66 and sOPS+ of 47.
That dominance wasn’t a one-month fluke, either. It picked up right where July left off, when opponents posted a tOPS+ of 65 and sOPS+ of 45 against the All-Star left-hander.
Great Zeus ⚡Jesús Luzardo is the National League Pitcher of the Month! pic.twitter.com/LxUZMXu6Zq
He opened September by staying locked in. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Luzardo worked 6.2 innings and gave up one earned run on six hits and one walk, while striking out six.
What makes this run even more striking is where he started. Luzardo carried a 5.77 ERA through his first eight appearances, but the underlying numbers suggested better days were coming. Now the results have caught up, and he’s pitched his way into the conversation as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball right now.
Give it up for the NL Pitcher of the Month 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZSkefYdXXI
He has already helped make a little history alongside Sanchez, as the two became only the third left-handed pitching duo in MLB history to record back-to-back seasons of 200+ strikeouts. And there could be more history ahead.
Luzardo is on pace to become the first pitcher in MLB history to go undefeated on the road with a sub-2.00 ERA and 100+ strikeouts, with two more road starts projected. After the way he’s been throwing, that mark looks well within reach.
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