Shane Victorino of the Boston Red Sox named the American League Player of the Week

Boston Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending August 4th. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

Victorino batted .400 (12-for-30) with three doubles, two home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored over seven games, helping the Red Sox to a 5-2 mark as they maintain a one-game A.L. East lead over the Tampa Bay Rays heading into play today. This is his first career weekly award and the third for the Red Sox this season after Mike Napoli and Andrew Bailey were tabbed with cohonors for the week ending April 21st. Among A.L. leaders, Shane finished first in total bases (21), was tied for first in doubles and was tied for second in hits and runs scored.

Among his highlights, the 32-year-old Victorino collected a team-leading three hits, including a personal season-best two doubles and three runs scored as Boston coasted to an 8-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday at Fenway Park. It was the first of five multi-hit games for the switch-hitter during the week. On Wednesday, the Hawaiian native tallied a pair of singles, walked once and scored a run to help the Red Sox edge the Mariners, 5-4, in 15 innings. On Thursday, the sixth round pick in the 1999 Draft (by the Los Angeles Dodgers) went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, three RBI and two runs scored as Boston mounted their largest late-game comeback in over 70 years in an 8-7 walk-off victory over Seattle, sweeping a three-game series from the M's for the second time in less than a month (also July 9th-11th at Safeco Field). Victorino's solo shot came in the eighth frame to cut the score to 7-2, setting the
scene for plenty of dramatics an inning later when the 10-year veteran lined a two-run single as part of a six-run ninth inning to cap Boston's thrilling comeback. The Club's 11th walk-off win of the season marked the first time the Sox won a contest in which they trailed by six runs as late as the eighth inning since a 12-11 triumph over the Philadelphia Athletics on July 3, 1940. In an Interleague matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, the two-time National League All-Star went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI to lead the Red Sox to a 5-2 win at Fenway Park. Victorino put Boston on the board with a solo shot in the fifth to knot the score at 1-1, and later gave the Sox a 2-1 advantage with a sacrifice fly in the seventh to score Brock Holt in the eventual victory.

Other noteworthy performances last week included Kendrys Morales (.577, 15 H, 5 RBI) of Seattle; Adrian Beltre (.429, 12 H, 6 RBI) of the Texas Rangers; and Mike Trout (.500, 3 2B, 13 BB, .719 OBP) of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. \

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