Adrian Gonzalez named NL Player of the Week

LOS ANGELES -- In one of the easiest picks of the year, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has won National League Player of the Week honors, after hitting a robust .609 (14-for-23) with five home runs in six games in the season's opening week.

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers captured American League honors.

Gonzalez became the first player in major league history with five home runs in his team' first three games, hitting five against the Padres from Monday to Wednesday last week, including a career-high three on Wednesday night. Gonzalez, who went 10-for-13 (.769) against the Padres, became the third Dodgers player ever with a home run in each of the first three games of the season, joining Carl Furillo (1955) and Jimmy Wynn (1974).

Gonzalez has more home runs than 13 major league teams.

This is the eighth Player of the Week honor for Gonzalez, and his first as a Dodger. His last win was AL Player of the Week from Aug. 6-12, 2012 with the Red Sox. His last NL honor was May 17-23, 2010 when with the Padres.

His other Player of the Week honors came July 16-22, 2012 and Aug. 22-28, 2011 with Boston; and August 10-16, 2009, May 25-31, 2009 and July 17-23, 2006 with the Padres.

Gonzalez also hit three doubles and walked four times during the week, hitting .609/.667/1.391 in the season's opening week. He leads the majors in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs, total bases (32), hits, and leads the National League with eight runs scored. He also drove in seven runs during the week.

It was already an award-heavy week for Gonzalez, who was given his 2014 Gold Glove and Sliver Slugger Awards before Wednesday's three-homer bonanza. He will receive, as will Juan Uribe, his 2014 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for the best fielder at his position before Monday night's game.

Four different Dodgers captured five NL Player of the Week honors in 2014 - Yasiel Puig, Josh Beckett, Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp - with Kershaw winning twice.

The last Dodgers first baseman to win NL Player of the Week was Nomar Garciaparra for May 8-14, 2006.

For winning NL Player of the Week, Gonzalez gets a watch from Game Time, which sadly doesn't feature sound clips of the 1990s Chicago Bulls and their pregame ritual.