Cy Young races heat up after aces in action
With six starters in contention for the American and National League Cy Young awards on the mound Friday, the race for hardware continued to intensify. Here's how each of them fared:
1. Jose Fernandez, Marlins
| INN | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
The 24-year-old stud pitched admirably for his team, overshadowing Clayton Kershaw's return by lowering his ERA to 2.90. More impressively, he racked up a career-high 14 strikeouts for the third time this season, and is now 28-2 pitching at home. His innings may be limited down the stretch, but, for now, Fernandez strengthened his case for the NL Cy Young.
2. Jon Lester, Cubs
| INN | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Lester has been under the radar in terms of NL Cy Young contenders, but he's quickly becoming part of the conversation. On top of recording his 16th win Friday, he's now 6-0 with 53 strikeouts, a 0.86 WHIP, and a 1.17 ERA in his past eight starts. His performance helped the Cubs become the first team to 90 wins.
3. Rick Porcello, Red Sox
| INN | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
Speaking of pitchers on a hot streak, Porcello deserves a lot of praise for his effort on the mound for the AL East-leading Red Sox. He became the first pitcher to 20 wins after beating the Blue Jays, and improved to 12-1 with 82 strikeouts, a 0.96 WHIP, and only 12 walks in his past 15 starts. If he wasn't already a legitimate AL CY Young candidate, he is now.
4. Michael Fulmer, Tigers
| INN | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Fulmer has the AL Rookie of the Year award in the bag, but remains in the conversation for the Cy Young as well, thanks to his consistency. His 10-6 record doesn't speak to how good he's been, as Fulmer continues to be one of the most efficient starters in the AL. His innings total (143) may hurt his chances, but his 2.76 ERA continues to lead the AL, and his 1.05 WHIP is still one of the best.
5. Madison Bumgarner, Giants
| INN | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
Bumgarner still warrants consideration for the NL CY Young even though he's given up more runs of late. In his last 10 starts, he's allowed 26 earned runs (3.66 combined ERA). Other than that, he's still been Bumgarner-esque with an impressive 1.04 WHIP, has limited hitters to a .214 batting average, and has pitched the most innings in the NL with 199.
6. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
| INN | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
Kershaw made his first start since June 29 after missing two months with a back injury, and while he only lasted three innings due to a pitch count, the Dodgers must be relieved he's back. Kershaw still leads the league in a number of categories, and, if he stays healthy down the stretch, he could win the award easily despite missing significant time.