Musgrove, J.D. Martinez win Players of Week
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Padres starter Joe Musgrove and Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez have been named the Players of the Week presented by Chevrolet for the week of April 5.
Musgrove threw his first career no-hitter on Friday night against the Texas Rangers, the first no-hitter tossed by a Padres pitcher in their 53 seasons as a franchise. San Diego had been the last remaining club without a no-hitter.
Musgrove, making only his second start as a Padre, racked up 10 strikeouts and allowed his only baserunner on a hit by pitch, becoming just the fifth pitcher in Major League history to miss a perfect game by a hit batsman, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He is also just the eighth pitcher in the modern era to throw a no-hitter in one of his first two starts with a team, and the first since 2007 (Clay Buchholz).
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Red Sox mainstay J.D. Martinez had an uncharacteristically difficult 2020, posting a career-low batting average of .213, his first season under .300 since 2015. In stark contrast, entering play on Monday he leads the Majors in hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and total bases, and slashed .458/.500/1.125 in five games last week. He now holds the American League record for the most extra-base hits through eight games (12) and is only the third player in Major League Baseball history to have an extra-base hit in each of his first eight games on the season.
Martinez capped off his historically productive week with a three-homer game on Sunday against the Orioles, becoming the 25th player in Red Sox history to do so and just the fifth player to have a three-homer game with three teams.