BALTIMORE — Nelson Cruz knew the exact reason why he was named the American League player of the week on Monday afternoon.
No, it wasn’t hitting safely in all six games he played in. It wasn’t hitting .500 (12 for 24) or belting three home runs or driving in seven runs in one game.
“You need the triple to make it complete,” he said.
Indeed, Cruz had two doubles and his first triple since September of 2016. Throw in two walks and he had a .538 on-base percentage and with a 1.042 slugging percentage it six games last week.