Two days after throwing a no-hitter to clinch the Central League Climax Series' first stage, the Yomiuri Giants' Tomoyuki Sugano was named the league's pitcher of the month for September and October on Tuesday.
Although he is a strong candidate to win his second straight Sawamura Award, it was Sugano's first monthly honor this year, but the sixth of his career. Sugano won four games, three of them shutouts, posted a 1.10 ERA and struck out 44 batters.
He was joined on the CL honor roll by Yokohama BayStars outfielder Neftali Soto, who led the league with 31 RBIs. This year's CL home run king was honored for the first time.
The Pacific League's winners were Seibu Lions right-hander Shinsaburo Tawata, who won four games with a 1.54 ERA to nab the honor for the second time. He was joined by Lions first baseman Hotaka Yamakawa, who like Tawata had been selected the PL's hitter of the month in April.
Yamakawa is now only the second PL player to win multiple monthly awards in two consecutive seasons. The other was Orix outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who won multiple honors in 1998 and 1999.
