Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending July 22nd. This is Adrian’s sixth career weekly honor (last accomplished for week ending August 28, 2011). The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
Gonzalez batted .429 (12-for-28) with three home runs, 12 RBI and five runs scored in seven games. Among A.L. leaders for the week, the 30-year-old was first in RBI, tied for first in homers, tied for second in hits, tied for third in total bases (21) and tied for sixth in batting average.
In the opener of a four-game set against the Chicago White Sox on Monday, Gonzalez singled in a run in the first inning and later lofted a three-run homer over the Green Monster in the eighth inning to snap a 1-1 tie as the Red Sox claimed a 5-1 victory at Fenway Park. The home run was the first since June 24th for the San Diego native, who finished the game with four RBI. On Wednesday, the nine-year veteran collected three hits, including a homer, and drove in four RBI for the second time in three games as Boston topped the White Sox, 10-1. The four-time All-Star’s homer was on the back end of consecutive shots with teammate Cody Ross, marking the fifth time this season that Boston has launched back-to-back home runs. Adrian also recorded an RBI-single in the first inning and a two-run single in the sixth. In the series finale on Thursday, the first overall pick in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft (by Florida) out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles as Boston won, 3-1, to take three of four from Chicago. Rounding out the week on Sunday, the left-handed-hitting slugger singled, hit a three-run blast and scored two runs in a 15-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway. Over his last 27 games (since June 20th), Gonzalez has batted .391 (43-for-110) with five doubles, four home runs, 22 RBI and 17 runs scored, hitting safely in 25 of those contests.
Other noteworthy performances last week included Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim rookie Mike Trout (.429, 12 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI); Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon (.433, 13 H, .455 OBP); Seattle Mariners rookie Jesus Montero (.462, 4 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI); and Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera (.333, 3 HR, 6 RBI, career homers 299 and 300 on Sunday). In recognition of his American League Player of the Week Award, Adrian Gonzalez will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.