Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros named the American League Pitcher of the Month for August

Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel has been voted the American League Pitcher of the Month for August.

Keuchel compiled a 4-1 record with a 1.94 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 41.2 innings pitched over six starts to claim his third career AL Pitcher of the Month Award after winning in both April and May this season. Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins is the last pitcher to have won three AL Pitcher of the Month awards (2004) in the same season. The Astros now account for four of the five 2015 AL Pitcher of the Month Award winners (Keuchel: April, May & August; and Scott Kazmir: July). Among qualified AL starters for the month, Dallas finished tied for second in wins, third in strikeouts and fourth in ERA. Opposing batters hit just .221 off the lefthander and his 5.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio was fourth-best among starters last month.

Dating back to July 25, 2014, the AL's starting pitcher in the 2015 All-Star Game has pitched at least 6.0 innings in a club-record 38 consecutive starts. Keuchel's streak is the longest by a Major League pitcher since Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers had 63 straight starts spanning parts of three seasons (2010-12). In the last start of his award-winning month on August 31st, the Tulsa, Oklahoma native became the first AL pitcher to record 16 wins on the season after pitching the club to an 8-3 win over the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park. Seemingly un-hittable at home, the University of Arkansas product is 12-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his 15 starts at his home ballpark this season. His ERA at home leads the Majors and is the lowest produced by an AL pitcher in a single season since Nolan Ryan logged a 1.07 mark for the California Angels in 1972. Dating back to last season, Keuchel has won 13 straight home decisions, which is tied for the longest home-winning streak in franchise history (Danny Darwin, 1989-90). Additionally, Houston's seventh round pick in the 2009 MLB Draft is the first pitcher in club history to win his first 12 home decisions of a season. Just seven pitchers in the last century have started a season 12-0-or-better at home, with the last being Minnesota's Santana during his Cy Young Award-winning 2006 season. Led by its ace Keuchel, Houston's AL-leading 3.34 team ERA has propelled them to a 3.0-game lead over the Texas Rangers for first in the AL West.

Others receiving votes for AL Pitcher of the Month included Yovani Gallardo (4-0, 1.98 ERA, 27.1 IP, 15 SO) of the Rangers; Joe Kelly (6-0, 2.68 ERA, 37.0 IP, 28 SO) of the Boston Red Sox; R.A. Dickey (4-0, 4.17 ERA, 36.2 IP, 22 SO), Roberto Osuna (0.79 ERA, 11 G, 10 SV, 14 SO) and David Price (4-1, 2.28 ERA, 43.1 IP, 50 SO) of the Toronto Blue Jays; Detroit's Verlander (1.50 ERA, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 36 SO); and Keuchel's teammate Mike Fiers (2-0, 2.25 ERA, 36.0 IP, 36 SO), who threw a no-hitter on August 21.

The American League Pitcher of the Month, Dallas Keuchel, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for his accomplishment.