Longoria snags AL Player of Week Award

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was named the American League Player of the Week on Monday, after hitting .464 with 11 RBIs over the previous seven days.

Longoria led all Major League hitters in RBIs, total bases (27) and slugging percentage (.964). He went 13-for-28 over seven games, with five doubles, three home runs, eight runs scored and helped guide the Rays to a 5-2 record in that span.

It is Longoria's sixth career weekly honor. He last received the award for the week ending Aug. 22, 2010.

Longoria hit his third career grand slam on Monday -- his first since May 1, 2009 -- against the Blue Jays and went 3-for-4 against Toronto on Wednesday, with a double, a home run and three RBIs to help lead manager Joe Maddon to his 600th career win.

"He's really on top of his offensive game right now. His plate discipline's been outstanding, and the contact has been real hard," Maddon said. "He's just having really good at-bats. The ball's coming off hot. Every time he goes up there, you almost expect him to hit something well."

Longoria also hit a game-winning two-run home run on Saturday against the Padres for an 8-7 win at Tropicana Field. In doing so, he established new club records with his fifth career walk-off homer (surpassing B.J. Upton) and his seventh career walk-off hit (passing Upton and Carl Crawford).

Longoria this year is tied for second in the AL in total bases (86), tied for third in runs scored (28) and extra-base hits (20), is fourth in slugging percentage (.610) and tied for fifth in homers (nine).