CarGo rakes to NL Player of Week honors

Home runs numbers across the Majors have deflated in 2013, but Carlos Gonzalez is trending in the opposite direction.

Gonzalez hit three more homers last week to earn National League Player of the Week honors for the period ending June 16. The slugger pushed his season total to 20 long balls after hitting 22 all of last year.

Gonzalez was 10-for-21, adding a pair of doubles and a triple while driving in eight runs. And his defense was just as good.

From the depths of left field at Coors Field on Sunday, Gonzalez fired a cannon that nailed the Phillies' Michael Young at home plate. Young was trying to score from first base, but Gonzalez's two-hopper was right on line in the Rockies' 10-5 win.

Gonzalez entered Monday's action hitting .316 with a 1.041 OPS, 16 doubles, six triples, 56 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. While homers are down to 1.0 per game this season (that mark was 1.02 in 2012), Gonzalez is second to only the Orioles' Chris Davis, who has 23 long balls.

The Rockies' left fielder recently admitted to pressing some last year and trying to carry the team on his back, though he's taken a more relaxed approach this season, especially with Michael Cuddyer producing in the cleanup spot behind him.

"I've been in this situation before," Gonzalez said. "The last thing I want to do is put pressure on myself, try to carry my team by myself. I tried doing it before and it didn't work. I think it just stressed me and it affected me, affected my game, when I tried to do it by myself.

"That's why I tell you we need everybody's help and everybody to contribute."

Gonzalez takes home the NL Player of the Week Award for the fourth time in his career, the last coming in 2011.