Ervin Santana put the Twins on his back Friday night in San Francisco both offensively and on the mound.
Not only did the Twins’ No. 1 starter come through with an unexpected 3-run double, he also pitched his third complete-game shutout of the season as the Twins beat the Giants 4-0. He allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five, and he needed only 91 pitches all night.
Santana improved to 8-3 with a 2.20 ERA.
There have been 14 complete-game shutouts across Major League Baseball this season and Santana owns three of them. No other pitcher has more than one.
Look where the right-hander ranks in all of the important statistical categories among qualified starters.
- Innings: 1st (90.0)
- Hits: 1st (47)
- Earned runs: 3rd (22)
- Wins: 2nd (8)
- WHIP: 3rd (0.89)
- ERA: 3rd (2.20)
Basically, Santana’s numbers are nearly identical with Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.
- Santana: 8-3, 2.20 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 90 innings
- Kershaw: 8-2, 2.20 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 90 innings
Last time we checked, Kershaw was pretty good.
