Daniel Murphy, Nate Lowe named W.B. Mason Players of the Week
First baseman Daniel Murphy of the Colorado Rockies has been chosen the W.B. Mason National League Player of the Week and first baseman/designated hitter Nate Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays has been named the W.B. Mason American League Player of the Week. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.
Murphy earned his second career NL Player of the Week Award, and his first since 2013 when winning weekly honors for the period ending September 1st as a member of the New York Mets. Daniel is the fourth different Rockies player to accomplish the feat this season, joining his All-Star teammates Nolan Arenado (May 27th), Trevor Story (June 3rd) and Charlie Blackmon (June 17th). Colorado is the only Club in the Majors this season to have four different Player of the Week winners. Lowe claimed his first career Player of the Week Award and is the second Rays winner thus far in 2019, joining his All-Star teammate Austin Meadows (April 14th).
In recognition of their Player of the Week Awards, Daniel Murphy and Nate Lowe will each be awarded a specially engraved watch courtesy of Artinian.
Daniel Murphy, Colorado Rockies
- Batted .667 (8-for-12) with five runs scored, three doubles, two home runs, five RBI and a 1.417 slugging percentage over three games played.
- Clubbed a game-tying home run in the eighth inning on Friday night, his eighth as a member of the Rockies and his first at Coors Field. His seven homers on the road prior to his first round-tripper at home were the most in franchise history.
- Matched a career high with four hits on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds to go along with a double and home run. Was his first four-hit game since July 10th of last season and the 20th of his career.
- Following his performance on Saturday, became the seventh player in franchise history, and the first since Michael Cuddyer in 2014, to post consecutive three-hit efforts with a double and homer in each outing.
Nate Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays (@nathaniel_lowe)_
- Across four games played, hit .471 (8-for-17) with six runs scored, a double, three home runs, seven RBI and a 1.059 slugging percentage.
- Posted career highs in hits (4), extra-base hits (2) and RBI (3) in Friday night’s game, leading the Rays to a 16-4 victory. Became the first Rays rookie to record four-or-more hits in a game within his first 15 career games since Michel Hernandez in 2009.
- Logged the first multi-homer game of his career in the second contest of Saturday’s day/night doubleheader. Became the first player in Club history with a multi-homer game within his first 17 contests.
- In Saturday’s aforementioned game, Nate’s teammate Mike Brosseau also recorded a multi-homer game. The duo became the fourth pair of rookie teammates with multiple homers in the same game in Major League history (also: John Hicks/JaCoby Jones, Detroit Tigers, 2017; Jay Bruce/Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds, 2008; and Dee Fondy/Randy Jackson, Chicago Cubs, 1951).
Other noteworthy NL performances last week included third baseman Josh Donaldson (.400, 6 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI) of the Atlanta Braves; outfielder A.J. Pollock (.429, 3 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; starting pitcher Yu Darvish (6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 8 SO, 2 H) of the Chicago Cubs; and infielder José Peraza (.625, 3 R, 5 H, 5 RBI) and outfielder Phillip Ervin (.700, 3 R, 7 H, 2 3B) of the Cincinnati Reds. On Saturday night, Irvin became the fourth player in franchise history to log six hits in a single game, and the first since Walker Cooper on July 6, 1949.
On a night in which the Angels organization honored the late Tyler Skaggs, Taylor Cole and Félix Peña posted the 11th no-hitter in Club history and the first combined no-hitter since April 11, 1990 (Mark Langston and Mike Witt). Other noteworthy AL performances were second baseman Jose Altuve (.400, 7 R, 2 2B, 2 HR) of the Houston Astros; All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts (.500, 4 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI) of the Boston Red Sox; All-Star outfielder Mike Trout (.444, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI) of the Angels; starting pitcher Lance Lynn (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 11 SO) of the Texas Rangers; outfielder Aaron Judge (.636, 7 H, .692 OBP) of the New York Yankees; outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler (.500, 4 R, 2 2B, 2 HR) of the Kansas City Royals; outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha (.600, 6 H, 2 XBH, 2 RBI) of the Oakland Athletics; and Nate’s teammates Brosseau (.417, 3 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI) and Ryan Yarbrough (1-0, 6.1 IP, 6 SO, 0 BB).
PLAY OF THE WEEK
Clutch, Extra-Base Saving Catch by Nick Markakis of the Atlanta Braves
July 13th at SD: Watch It Here
Outfielder Nick Markakis of the Atlanta Braves earned his first career Play of the Week honor, marking the second award for the Braves this season (also Charlie Culberson, July 8th). In the bottom of the 10th inning of a two-run game during Saturday night’s tilt at Petco Park, Markakis ranged back to deep right field before making an acrobatic catch and robbing Francisco Mejia of an extra-base hit. Following his heroics with two men left on base, the Braves held on for the 7-5 victory. Additional Play of the Week candidates included Roman Quinn’s fully-extended diving catch to rob Adam Eaton of extra bases; Jarrod Dyson’s leaping catch at the wall; Nolan Arenado’s barehanded play on a slow roller hit down the third base line; Byron Buxton’s tremendous diving catch on a shallow fly ball to center field; Ronald Acuña Jr.’s leaping catch at the wall; and Javier Báez, Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo combining for a game-ending double play to conclude a Cubs victory.