The Cubs appear poised to separate themselves atop the National League Central, winners of three straight and seven out of 10, and slugging first baseman Anthony Rizzo is a big reason why.
Rizzo may have enjoyed his best seven-day stretch of the season during the past week, as the Cubs took series from the Reds and Blue Jays at home. On Monday, the slugger was named the NL Player of the Week for his efforts.
• Past NL Players of the Week
Rizzo went hit .429 (12-for-28) last week, with two home runs and 13 RBIs over seven games. He tallied multihit games in four of them, homered and drove in five on Aug. 14 and launched a grand slam against the Reds on Wednesday.
Video: CIN@CHC: Rizzo goes opposite field for a grand slam
Overall, the three-time All-Star is hitting .268/.387/.512, and he's on pace to set a career high in home runs and has more walks (69) than strikeouts (68) this season.
The award is the second of Rizzo's career and first since July 2014. He is the second Cubs player to win this season, following Willson Contreras two weeks ago.