Not much has gone right for the Seattle Mariners this season, but the club appears to be showing signs of life following the trade of Ichiro to the Yankees. They are currently on a seven-game winning streak, the longest of the season.
One of the big factors to the M's nearing .500 has been the stellar pitching performances they've received from Jason Vargas. On Thursday, Vargas was named the American League's Pitcher of the Month for July.
Not too bad for a guy who was reportedly on the trading block last month.
Vargas went a perfect 5-0 last month with a 1.64 ERA. He struck out 26 batters in 46 innings of work, walking just 13 in the process.
Here is the confirmation of the news from the Mariners official Twitter feed.
Jason Vargas named AL Pitcher of the Month for July. Vargas went 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA in 6 starts during the month.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 2, 2012
For more on the Mariners and their recent surge, head over to Lookout Landing.