Ortiz, Lester named top player/pitcher for May.

[Dipre]

Pair of Red Sox garners May AL honors

 

DH Ortiz named top player, southpaw Lester tabbed top pitcher

 

As befits the dramatic turnarounds by the Red Sox and by their designated hitter, and reflective of Boston's month of revival, David Ortiz and left-hander Jon Lester have earned American League Player and Pitcher of the Month honors, respectively, for May.

 

This marks the first time teammates shared the monthly citations since Minnesota's Joe Mauer and Johan Santana were double-honorees in June 2006.

 

Lester was recognized for a spike in his season-long excellence. He went 5-0 in May, while leading the Major Leagues with 45 strikeouts in 44 innings, to improve his record to 6-2 with a 2.97 ERA.

 

But for Ortiz, the award is testimony to his rise above a miserable and frustrating April that had put the remainder of his career under a microscope.

 

Coming off an opening month during which he had batted .143 and drove in only four runs while striking out 21 times in 56 at-bats, Big Papi lit up May with a .363 average that included 10 homers and 27 RBIs.

 

Ortiz's .788 slugging percentage and .424 on-base percentage both were Major League highs for the month.

 

The monthly award is the fourth for Ortiz, who was last cited in September 2007.

 

Lester's month was highlighted by the May 20 complete-game victory against the Twins in which he struck out nine without issuing a walk -- the first Boston pitcher to whiff as many without a base on balls since Pedro Martinez did it six years ago.

 

Lester, whose lifetime .727 (48-18) winning percentage is the best in Major League history among pitchers with 50-plus decisions, last earned Pitcher of the Month honors in September 2008 and has received the award a total of three times.

 

The Red Sox went 18-11 after entering May with a losing (11-12) record.

 

Texas DH Vladimir Guerrero, who batted .330 with an Ortiz-matching 10 homers while leading the Majors with 31 RBIs, was runner-up for AL Player of the Month honors.

 

Finishing second in the AL Pitcher of the Month vote was Toronto right-hander Shaun Marcum, who also went 5-0 and posted an ERA of 1.85.

[yeszir]

Ortiz definitely deserves it

[Palodios]

Ortiz definitely deserves it

 

Lester definitely deserves it too.