"Royals closer Joakim Soria sure knows how to close out a season.

Soria was honored Thursday as the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month for September after converting all 10 save opportunities and pitching 13 2/3 scoreless innings in 12 appearances.

It marks the second straight season that Soria won the award in September. The award is determined through a vote by a Major League Baseball panel and seeks to recognize each month's "most outstanding relief pitcher."

Four other relievers received votes: Joe Nathan of the Twins, Mariano Rivera of the Yankees, Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers and Francisco Cordero of the Reds.

Soria's 10-save month boosted his season total to 30 and enabled him to become the first Royals pitcher to record successive 30-save seasons since Jeff Montgomery reached that plateau three straight times during 1991-93.

The achievement is particularly notable for Soria because he didn't pitch between May 7 and June 3 while battling a strained rotator cuff.

"(The total) is better than I thought it would be," he said. "After I had shoulder inflammation and missed all of that time, it's good to have 30 saves."

Soria finished the season at 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA in 47 games with his 30 saves coming in 33 opportunities. He is 7-8 with a 2.09 ERA in 172 appearances in three years since his selection from San Diego in the 2006 Rule 5 draft. He has 89 saves in 99 opportunities.

Award dates announced

Zack Greinke must wait until Nov. 17 to learn whether he becomes the third pitcher in Royals history to win the American League Cy Young Award.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America announced its awards schedule Thursday, though the ballots on all eight of its awards have already been turned in.

The interest in Kansas City, of course, centers on the Cy Young. Greinke finished 16-8 with a major-league-leading 2.16 ERA but faces stiff competition from Seattle's Felix Hernandez, who was 19-5 and 2.49.

Other candidates include New York's C.C. Sabathia (19-8, 3.37) and Detroit Justin Verlander (19-9 and 3.45)."