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Vargas (3-0) tossed seven scoreless innings Wednesday, scattering four hits and striking out nine in a 2-0 win over the Giants.
He out-dueled Madison Bumgarner in this one, throwing 61 of 92 pitches for strikes, and Vargas now has an uncanny 0.44 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 23:2 K:BB through 20.2 innings on the season. The strikeouts are particularly, well, striking, as his fastball remains mired in the mid-80s and his career high in K/9 over a full season is just 6.5. His 13.4 percent swinging-strike rate and 73.9 percent contact rate within the strike zone are so far removed from his career norms that, absent a significant change in his arsenal to explain them, a major and painful correction seems inevitable. In other words, enjoy the ride while it lasts, but don't get too attached to the veteran lefty. Vargas will next take the mound Monday on the road against the White Sox.
