Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Youkilis, McCutchen named Players of the Week

Chicago White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis has been named the American League Player of the Week and National League All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been named the N.L. Player of the Week for the week of July 2nd-8th.

Youkilis hit .478 (11-for-23) with three home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored in his six games played.  The 33-year-old led the A.L. in slugging (.913), tied for the lead in RBI, was second in batting, total bases (21) and on-base percentage (.571), tied for second in runs scored, tied for third in home runs and tied for fifth in hits.  The University of Cincinnati product had at least one RBI in each of his six games played during the week and in his last seven contests overall.  On Tuesday, he led the White Sox to a 19-2 victory over the reigning A.L. Champion Texas Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field, going 3-for-6 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored.  On Saturday, the eighth round pick in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft (by Boston) hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give Chicago a 2-0 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.  Since joining the White Sox, Youkilis is batting .347 (17-for-49) with three home runs, 14 RBI and nine runs scored over 13 games.  This is the second career weekly award for Youkilis, who previously won for the week ending May 11, 2008.

McCutchen, an All-Star for the second consecutive season, hit .517 (15-for-29) with three home runs, nine RBI, one double, one triple and 11 runs scored over seven games as he led the Pirates to six wins in that span.  He led the league in hitting, runs and total bases (27), ranked second in slugging (.931), tied for second in on-base percentage (.548), tied for third in RBI and tied for fifth in homers.  On Monday, the 11th overall selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft went 4-for-5 with a double, RBI and three runs scored in an 11-2 win over the visiting Houston Astros.  The next day, McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in an 8-7 win over the Astros.  The 25-year-old, who is a participant in the 2012 State Farm Home Run Derby, ended the first half with a 3-for-5 performance at home in a 13-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.  In the contest, McCutchen collected two home runs and four RBI with three runs scored.  The Fort Meade, Florida native leads the Majors with a .362 batting average and his 60 RBI are tied for third in the N.L.  This is the first career weekly award for McCutchen.