Beltre powers up, claims AL Player of Week
Texas slugger socks four homers to win award for fourth time in career
Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has been named the American League Player of the Week after leading the Majors in homers and total bases last week.
Beltre hit .478 (11-for-23) with two doubles, four home runs, five RBIs, four runs and 25 total bases over six games to claim his fourth career weekly honor. He was last recognized for the week ending Aug. 26, 2012.
He was also third in the AL in batting average and on-base percentage (.520) and tied for fourth in hits.
Beltre hit two homers Thursday as part of a 3-for-4 day, leading the Rangers to a 5-4 win against the Mariners. It was his first multihomer game of the year and 24th of his 16-year career. He also snapped a 22-game homerless drought dating back to June 9, the longest in his Rangers tenure.
The two blasts gave him 362 for his career, moving Beltre past Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio for 75th on baseball's all-time list.
Beltre also homered Friday night and again Sunday to help the Rangers take two of three from rival Houston.
He enters Monday riding a nine-game hitting streak, batting .417 with two doubles, four homers, six RBIs and five runs during the stretch.