Hello, old friend
Andrew Benintendi is thriving in Kansas City.
The Royals outfielder — who came up through the Red Sox system but was traded by Boston this offseason — was named the American League Player of the Week after absolutely crushing it in seven games between Sept. 6 and Sept. 12.
Benintendi struck out just three times in 28 at-bats, putting together an oppressive .500/.516/.929 slash line. He launched three doubles and three home runs, with 14 hits and a league-high 14 RBIs. He also worked two walks.
The highlight of the week came in a 6-4 win against the Twins on Friday, when he hit two home runs and knocked in five runs. It was his second five-RBI performance, with the first coming two games prior to that.
He also had a game-saving grab on Sept. 6.
Along the way, the Royals went 4-3, splitting a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles before taking two of three from the Minnesota Twins. They’re pretty much playing in garbage time at this point, with just three more losses eliminating them from playoff contention in an AL Central dominated by the Chicago White Sox.