Jim Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles named the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month for May

Jim Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles has been selected as the winner of the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award for May, it was announced today. This Major League Baseball award recognizes the most outstanding relief pitcher during each month of the regular season as voted on by a panel from Major League Baseball.

In 12 games during May, Johnson went 0-0 with a 1.42 ERA while converting each of his nine save opportunities. In 12.2 innings pitched, the right-hander permitted two earned runs on seven hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Johnson, a fifth round selection in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, tossed a season-high 2.0 innings on May 6th at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox and collected three strikeouts in the no-decision as the Orioles topped the Sox, 9-6, in a 17-inning marathon. The New York native converted saves on three straight days from May 10th-12th, preserving a victory over the Texas Rangers in the first game of a double-header on May 10th, and closing out the Tampa Bay Rays in each of the next two days. After converting his 12th save of the season in the final game of a three-game set against the New York Yankees at home on May 15th, Johnson picked up saves in each of the next two games on May 16th and 17th at Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals. Johnson, who is tied for the Major League-lead with 17 saves this season, has converted 25 consecutive saves since August 14, 2011, the second-longest streak in Orioles history behind Randy Myers’ streak of 34 straight save conversions from May 6 – September 27, 1997. Johnson, who retired the side in order in five of his nine save chances, is the first Orioles pitcher ever to win the Delivery Man of the Month Award since its inception in 2005.

Other relievers receiving votes included Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez (0-1, 1.59 ERA, 10 SV, 11.1 IP, 13 SO); Fernando Rodney (1-1, 1.23 ERA, 9 SV, 14.2 IP, 15 SO) of the Rays; and San Francisco Giants reliever Santiago Casilla (1-2, 1.26 ERA, 10 SV, 14.1 IP, 12 SO).