Belt's resurgence, confidence being recognized

WASHINGTON -- Brandon Belt batted third against a left-handed starting pitcher Tuesday for the second time in three games. Until recently, that never would have happened.

Then again, Belt hasn't maintained his current consistency until now.

The left-handed-batting Belt's position in the batting order against Baltimore's Wei-Yin Chen last Saturday and Washington's Gio Gonzalez on Tuesday reflected his rising stature and performance, which was recognized as he won National League Player of the Week honors. Belt hit .440 (11-for-25) last week, with two home runs, five RBIs and eight runs scored.

Any doubts about the club's faith in Belt, as well as his faith in himself, just might be a thing of the past.

"I think the confidence is pretty high all the way around, on my side and the coaches' side right now," Belt said Tuesday.

With a .438 average in August entering Tuesday, Belt also has a shot at the Player of the Month Award.