Updated

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez was named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 2.

Alvarez hit .458 with four homers and eight RBI in six games last week. His best performance came on August 28th, when he tied a career-best with a four- hit effort, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in a 9-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 25-year-old is hitting .250 for the season. His 27 homers lead all NL third basemen and his 49 extra-base hits are tied for fourth.

Other players considered for the award included Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez and Marco Estrada.