BOSTON -- What a way to come out of a slump.

Mired in an 0-for-24 slide entering the Angels' May 13 game in Yankee Stadium, Anaheim first baseman Scott Spiezio caught fire and kept it going.

Spiezio led the Major Leagues with a 1.048 slugging percentage and a .577 on-base percentage and was named American League Pepsi Player of the Week for the period ending May 18.

It is Spiezio's first career Player of the Week award.

Scott Spiezio   /   1B
	Height: 6'2" Weight: 225 Bats/Throws: S/R More info: Stats Splits Hit chart Mariners site

In six games last week, Spiezio batted .476 (0-for-21) with four runs scored, 22 total bases, four doubles (tied for the AL high), one triple, two home runs, and seven RBIs.

Spiezio, one of the postseason stars for the 2002 World Series champions, matched a career-best with two home runs along with a career-high five RBIs in a 10-3 win in Yankee Stadium last Tuesday.

He followed up with a 4-for-4 night in a 5-3 win over New York on Wednesday, equaling his career-high for hits in a game.

The next night, he reached base four times without a hit. He was walked in his first three plate appearances, then hit by a pitch his fourth time up. That gave him a string of nine consecutive times reaching base.

Spiezio beat out Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki (Major League highs with a .519 average and 14 hits), Bret Boone (.364, 7 RBIs, tied for the AL high with three homers), and Edgar Martinez (.292, AL-best 10 RBIs, tied for AL high with three homers); Toronto's Vernon Wells (ML-best 24 total bases, .429, seven RBIs, tied for AL high with three homers); Minnesota's Doug Mientkiewicz (.435, one homer, six RBIs); and Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli (.375, one homer, eight RBIs).

Pitchers appearing on the ballot were Joel Pineiro (2-0, 3.21, 14 innings pitched) of the Mariners; John Thomson (1-0, 1.80, AL-high 15 IP, one complete game) of Texas; Rick Reed (three-hit shutout) and LaTroy Hawkins (2-0, 0.00, 5 1/3 IP) of the Twins; and Brendan Donnelly (3 2/3 IP, 0 ER), Spiezio's Angel teammate. Donnelly has not allowed an earned run in 23 2/3 innings pitched this season.

Spiezio, who will receive a Tourneau luxury Swiss timepiece for receiving the honor, said he feels more comfortable at the plate and it's paying off.

"I hadn't been hitting very well," he said. "I felt like I was 0-for-90, 0-for-2003. But after a month, I finally got it going. It feels good."

Angels manager Mike Scioscia likes what he sees.

"Speez is seeing the ball well," Scioscia said. "He's giving us a big lift."

Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.