What happened: Philadelphia's Cristopher Sanchez was named National League Pitcher of the Month for May, narrowly beating out Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski for the award, per Bob Nightengale. Sanchez posted a 0.00 ERA across the month, while Misiorowski countered with a 0.23 ERA and a higher strikeout total in a closely watched race.

Why it matters: The award caps a historically dominant stretch for Sanchez, whose performance has been the subject of the same Sánchez-versus-Misiorowski debate Jeff Passan framed this week. It cements his standing as the anchor of a Phillies rotation that has carried the club, and underscores how thin the margin was over a breakout Brewers arm.

What to watch: Watch whether Sanchez's award strengthens his All-Star case after last year's snub, and how he follows up the scoreless month into June.