Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman named NL Player of the Week

Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending July 22nd. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network. In eight games last week, Zimmerman led the Majors with 15 hits and 32 total bases and ranked second in the N.L. with a .500 (15-for-30) batting average. The 27-year-old belted five home runs and notched a 1.067 slugging percentage, ranking second in the Majors in both categories. His nine runs scored were tied for the most in the N.L. while his .571 on-base percentage and eight RBI tied for second and third in the league, respectively. Zimmerman collected hits in seven of Washington's eight games last week and logged five multi-hit efforts. On July 16th, the two-time Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winner collected three hits in a losing effort as the Nationals dropped the final game of a four-game series in Miami, 5-3. The following night, Zimmerman scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th to give Washington a 5-4 victory in the first game of a three-game series against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. On Friday, the fourth overall selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in an 11-10 extra-innings loss to the second-place Atlanta Braves in the first game of a four-game set in our nation's capital. After the Nats dropped the first game of Saturday's day-night doubleheader, Zimmerman went 2-for-4 in the night cap with an infield single in the bottom of the sixth inning, which led to the game-tying run in an eventual 5-2 victory for the Nationals. Zimmerman capped his stellar week with a 3-for-5, two-homer, three-RBI performance in Sunday's game, leading the Nationals to a 9-2 victory. With 14 home runs this year, the 2009 N.L. All-Star is currently tied for second among N.L. third basemen. This is his third career weekly award, having won previously for the weeks ending August 5, 2007 and August 21, 2011. Other noteworthy performances last week included Arizona's Jason Kubel (.409, 6 HR, 11 RBI, 1.318 SLG) and Aaron Hill (.367, 11 H, HR, .424 OBP); Pittsburgh's Pedro Alvarez (.304, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .826 SLG); and David Freese (.556, 3 2B, HR, 4 RBI) of the St. Louis Cardinals. In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Ryan Zimmerman will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com