Joe Blanton

Blanton holds Mariners to one run

Joe Blanton turned in another fine outing against the Mariners Monday night, allowing the Mariners to score just one run on two hits in six innings of pitching.

What It Means:

It's been a surprisingly good season for Joe Blanton so far. Last night's win gave him his first since 2013. His ERA through 26 innings (two starts and seven relief appearances) sits at 1.73, and his xFIP is also at a respectable 2.95. It's tough to say if this is the Joe Blanton we should get used to this season, as he hasn't had a season in the big leagues with an ERA at or around 4 since 2009, when he went 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA. Surprisingly, the one run was a home run by Robinson Cano, only his third of the season.