Major League Baseball announced its pitchers of the month for June on Thursday. One reason why the Houston Astros lead the American League West and the Philadelphia Phillies lead the National League East is because of their pitching. Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown of Detroit, Michigan was the American League Pitcher of the Month, and Phillies ace Zack Wheeler of Smyrna, Georgia was the National League Pitcher of the Month.
Hunter Brown
Brown had an absolutely incredible month of June for the Astros. He pitched five games and only had an earned run average of 1.19 and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 0.82. In 30 1/3 innings pitched, Brown only gave up 13 hits, four earned runs, two home runs, and 12 walks, to go along with 39 strikeouts and three quality starts.
Brown’s victory came on June 1 in a 1-0 Astros win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched six shutout innings and gave up four walks and one hit, to go along with five strikeouts, while delivering a quality start. Brown threw 93 pitches of which 49 pitches were strikes.
Brown’s second quality start came on June 14 as he had a career-high 12 strikeouts in a 3-2 Astros win over the Minnesota Twins. Brown gave up two earned runs in seven innings despite not getting a decision. Then on June 26, Brown threw seven shutout innings, and had exceptional control (nine strikeouts and zero walks), to go along with three hits allowed in a 2-1 Astros win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Like the game against the Twins, Brown did not get a decision.
This season, Brown has a record of nine wins and three losses. During 17 games and 104 innings pitched, he has a Major League leading 1.82 earned run average. Brown has given up 65 hits, 21 earned runs, nine home runs and 29 walks, to go along with 126 strikeouts, one complete game, a WHIP of 0.90 and 13 quality starts.
Zack Wheeler
Wheeler had a record of two wins and one loss with an earned run average of 0.58 in the month of June. During five games and 31 innings pitched, Wheeler gave up 20 hits, two earned runs, one home run and seven walks, to go along with 42 strikeouts, four quality starts, and a WHIP of 0.87.
Wheeler’s first win of June came on June 15 in an 11-4 Phillies win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He had nine strikeouts and zero walks, and gave up one earned run and four hits for the quality start. Wheeler’s second win of June came on June 30 in a 4-0 Phillies win over the San Diego Padres. He threw eight shutout innings, and gave up six hits and zero walks, to go along with 10 strikeouts.
This season, Wheeler leads the National League with 136 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.91. He has a record of eight wins and three losses with an earned run average of 2.27. During 17 games and 107 innings pitched, Wheeler has given up 72 hits, 27 earned runs, 10 home runs and 25 walks, to go along with 13 quality starts.
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