Kershaw tops Wainwright for Cy Young Award; St. Louisan Scherzer wins in AL
ST. LOUIS -- By the end of the World Series, Adam Wainwright had pitched 276 innings, the most in the majors by nearly two games. The Cardinals right-hander also led the majors during the regular season in complete games (5) and tied for the NL lead in wins (19).
A great season anyway you look at it.
Just not great enough to take home the NL Cy Young Award. For the second time, Wainwright finished as the runner-up in voting by the baseball writers, this time being beaten out by Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw. Wainwright also finished second in 2009, as well as third in 2010.
Kershaw received 29 of 30 first-place votes -- the other went to Wainwright -- to dominate balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Kershaw, 25, totaled 207 points to 83 for Wainwright. Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez came in third, with 63 points.
The only Dodgers pitcher besides Sandy Koufax to win more than one Cy, Kershaw certainly was deserving (despite an 0-4 record against the Cardinals, including the postseason). He finished with a 1.83 ERA, the lowest in the majors since Pedro Martinez had a 1.74 in 2000. Kershaw also finished second to Wainwright in innings during the regular season (236) and led the NL in strikeouts (236).
The AL vote was almost as lopsided with Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer claiming 28 of the 30 first-place votes to win his first Cy Young. Scherzer totaled 203 points in the voting, with Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish coming in second with 93.
Scherzer, a St. Louis native and Missouri alum, was the majors' only 20-game winner this season, finishing 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Scherzer won his first 13 decisions but actually put up better numbers after the All-Star break, with a 2.44 ERA compared to 3.19 before.
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