Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres named National League Player of the Week

San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley has been named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending August 12th. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

In six games last week, Headley hit .333 (8-for-24), leading the N.L. with 11 RBI and tying for the league lead with three home runs. His .750 slugging percentage ranked third among N.L. batters and his 18 total bases and six runs scored were tied for third. The Colorado native collected hits in five of San Diego’s six games last week, including three multi-hit efforts. In Friday’s series-opening victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, Headley led the Padres, going 2-for-4 with two homers and five RBI in the 9-8 win. The switch-hitter’s first blast of the game came while hitting from the left side as he clubbed a three-run shot to cap a six-run fifth inning for the Friars, which tied the score at 7-7. Batting right-handed in the seventh inning, Headley connected for his second homer of the day, a two-run blast to give the Padres a 9-8 lead that would not be relinquished. It marked the third career multi-homer game for the 28-year-old (also April 18th at Colorado and May 28th at Chicago), and it was the first time he has homered from each side of the plate in the same contest. Headley’s five-RBI day matched a career-high, which he also accomplished at PNC Park on August 5, 2011. On Wednesday, the second round selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored as the Padres completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Chicago Cubs with a 2-0 victory. The previous day, Headley went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored on the way to a 7-4 win. With 18 homers and 71 RBI on the season, Headley has already established career bests in both categories. His 10 games with three-or-more RBI are the most by a Padre in a single season since Adrian Gonzalez had 11 such games in 2009. This is Chase’s first career weekly award.

Other noteworthy performances last week included San Francisco’s Buster Posey (.421, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .895 SLG) and Brandon Belt (.500, 11 H, 3 2B, .577 OBP); Jon Jay (.536, 15 H, 2 2B, 6 R, 4 RBI, 2 SB) and Jake Westbrook (2-0, 1.98 ERA, 13.2 IP) of the St. Louis Cardinals; Washington’s Mike Morse (.323, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, .710 SLG); Houston’s Steve Pearce (.400, 10 H, 5 RBI, .483 OBP); Pittsburgh’s Erik Bedard (2-0, 2.25, 11 SO, 12.0 IP); Chris Capuano (1-1, 1.20 ERA, 16 SO, 15.0 IP) of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman (0-0, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 6 SO, 3.1 IP); and Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo (2-0, 2.45 ERA, 12 SO, 14.2 IP).

In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Chase Headley will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.