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The Matt Thomas Show

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Yuli Gurriel Named AL Player of the Week

HOUSTON, TX - Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel has been named the American League Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 16-23. This marks the first-career American League Player of the Week award for Gurriel.

Last week, Gurriel hit .433 (13x30) with three doubles, three homers, 10 RBI and a 1.267 OPS (.433 OBP/.833 SLG) in seven games, five of which were Astros victories. Among American League players during the week, he ranked first in RBI, tied for first in hits and tied for second in both runs scored (8) and total bases (25).

On Friday, Sept. 21, Gurriel went 3x4 with two home runs and a career-high seven RBI against the Angels, setting a Minute Maid Park record for RBI in a game while tying a club record for RBI by an Astros first baseman, a mark that Jeff Bagwell reached twice in his career (July 7, 2001 and Aug. 13, 2000). Yuli made history that night with his brother, Toronto Blue Jays IF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. , as the two became the first set of siblings to hit multiple home runs on the same day in the Major Leagues.

On the season, Gurriel has hit .288 (149x518) with 33 doubles, 13 home runs and a career-high 84 RBI, which rank second on the Astros behind only Alex Bregman (100). A native of Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Gurriel recorded his 80th career double in what was his 300th career game in the Majors on Sept. 17, the most doubles by a Cuban-born player within his first 300 games in Major League history.

Gurriel becomes the fourth Astros player to win the AL Player of the Week award this season, as he joins two-time winner Justin Verlander (Sept. 10-16, April 9-15), Alex Bregman (June 25-July 1) and Evan Gattis (June 11-17). The Astros have also won two AL monthly awards this season, with Verlander capturing AL Pitcher of the Month honors for May and Bregman winning AL Player of the Month honors for June.


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