page_title: Johan Santana
section_title: 2008 season
hierarchical_section_title: Johan Santana / Professional career / New York Mets / 2008 season
caption_attribution_description: Johan Santana on May 17, 2008
context_page_description: Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 2008 to 2012, sidelined by injury challenges since the 2012 season. A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Twins, Santana is a four-time All-Star and earned a pitching triple crown in 2006. On June 1, 2012, Santana threw a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals, which is to date the only no-hitter in New York Mets history.
context_section_description: On February 2, 2008, Santana was traded from the Twins to the New York Mets for Carlos Gómez, Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey. The Mets and Santana agreed to a six-year, $137.5 million contract. Santana was named the Opening Day starter, throwing 100 pitches in seven innings to earn the win against the Florida Marlins. On May 10, 2008, he earned his first win at Shea Stadium as a member of the New York Mets.
  On June 1, 2008, Santana earned his 100th career victory, going 7.2 innings and allowing one run in a 6–1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  On July 27, the day after the Mets played a 14-inning game where every pitcher in the bullpen was used, Johan pitched a complete game, striking out five and getting his first RBI as a Met against the St. Louis Cardinals, improving his record to 9–7.  On August 17, 2008 Santana pitched his second complete game for his 11th win of the season, allowing only three hits while walking none and striking out 7 in a 3–0 Mets shutout over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  On September 23, Santana threw 125 pitches, a career-high to that point, in eight innings to beat the Chicago Cubs. On September 27, in the thick of a playoff race and on the final weekend of the season, Santana pitched a complete three-hit gem in a 2–0 win against the Florida Marlins on three days' rest.  It was later revealed that Santana had pitched that day, and perhaps in many other starts, with a torn meniscus in his left knee, for which he underwent successful surgery on October 1, 2008.
  Santana finished the 2008 regular season with a 16–7 record, posting a 2.53 ERA with 206 strikeouts, which set a Mets' single-season record for strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher, breaking Jon Matlack's 35-year record of 205 in 1973.  His 2.53 ERA led the majors and was a career best.  He also set a career high in innings pitched and was undefeated in the second half of the season.  However, he was also the victim of seven blown saves, tying for first in the majors.
  Santana finished in third place in the NL Cy Young Award race behind Brandon Webb and winner Tim Lincecum.
caption: Santana releasing a pitch in May 2008
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