Blue Jays’ Kendrys Morales named AL Player of the Week

Watch as Kenrdys Morales homers for the seventh straight game to set a franchise record.

NEW YORK — Kendrys Morales is being recognized for his torrid seven-game run.

The Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter was named the American League player of the week on Monday after hitting a franchise-record seven home runs in seven consecutive games.

Morales batted .478 for the week of Aug. 20 to 26, with eight runs scored and 12 runs batted in Toronto’s six games — the Blue Jays had an off day Thursday — to earn his fifth career AL player of the week nod, and the first since Sept. 11, 2016 while playing for Kansas City.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was named the NL player of the week.

Morales finished the week first in batting average, homers, RBIs, slugging percentage and total bases (32) among qualified AL leaders. He also tied for first in runs scored and hits and tied for third in on-base percentage.

Morales’s seven consecutive games with homers is one shy of the all-time major league record of eight shared by Pittsburgh’s Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees (1987) and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners (1993).

Morales is one of just seven players in major league history to record a home run in seven consecutive games, and the first since Kevin Mench did it for the Texas Rangers in 2006.

This is Toronto’s second weekly honour of the 2018 season after first baseman Justin Smoak won for the opening week.

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