Overall, the offense continued to carry the team, batting .283 with 13 home runs. The middle of the Roadrunner lineup struggled at the plate this month. Jose Bautista, Carlos Lee, and Aramis Ramirez combined to hit only .212 with 6 home runs in 132 at-bats. Wilson Valdez (.364), Ronny Cedeno (.333), and Mark Aviles (.314) picked up the slack at the top and bottom of the order.
The pitching staff was decent, posting a 4.32 ERA. Two complete games were thrown, including a shutout by Ian Kennedy. Despite his first loss (and the team's first loss in extra innings), Brandon Lyon continued his stellar season as the team's closer going 3-for-3 in save opportunities. John Lackey rebounded a bit this month, with two victories and 15 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched. Nate Robertson did not allow an earned run in 6 1/3 relief innings.
Home Hitter of the Month - Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton missed 3 games at home, but still managed to carry the team's offense. He posted an impressive .606 average, with two home runs and 6 RBI in 11 games. Both of his home runs came in one game against right-handed pitching. In 29 at-bats against RHP, Hamilton hit .621 with an .862 slugging percentage. At one point during the May homestand, he had a hit in seven consecutive at-bats. Hamilton is now starting to put up MVP-like numbers, boosting his offensive totals to .376-12-36 with an OPS of 1.044 in 53 games.
Home Pitcher of the Month - Chris Volstad
The surprise pitcher of the month was Chris Volstad, edging out John Lackey and Brandon Lyon. Volstad was undefeated at home in three starts, including one complete game, and 8 1/3 innings pitched in another start. While he did walk 10 batters in 25 2/3 innings, he managed to keep those runners on base somehow. Volstad's 1.75 ERA was unexpected considering his card, as was his one home run allowed. Volstad has now emerged as the club's top starting pitcher, improving his overall record to 5-3, while lowering his ERA to 2.51.
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