Baltimore Orioles Player of the Week: Get your milk

The race for Baltimore Orioles inaugural player of the week honor was very tight. In the end, Ryan Mountcastle edged out Grayson Rodriguez, Anthony Santander, Jordan Westburg and several others that deserved consideration. In the second full week of the season, the winner was a runaway. Colton Cowser had one of the best weeks you'll see from a major leaguer all season, and is this week's Orioles player of the week.

After getting limited playing early in the season while the Orioles faced several left-handed starters, Cowser found himself in the starting lineup as the O's headed north to play the division rival Boston Red Sox. In his first game at historic Fenway Park, Cowser went 2-4 with two doubles and four RBI, leading the O's to a 7-1 victory. Cowser then sparked the Birds' comeback victory in the second game of the series when he singled in Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins in the sixth inning to get the O's on the board after trailing 5-0. He later came around to score on Jackson Holliday's first major league RBI, a grounder to the right side.

The Milkman saved his best for last and became an official Red Sox killer in the final game of the series. In the top of the fifth inning, again with the Orioles trailing (this time 2-0), Cowser sparked the offense with his first career major league home run -- a shot over the Green Monster, no less, to cut the Red Sox lead in half. With the game tied at three and now in the 10th inning, Cowser came to the plate again. With the Orioles offense already rolling, having scored three runs in the inning, Cowser blasted his second homer of the game. His Earl Weaver special (three-run homer) gave the Orioles a commanding six0run lead in a game they went on to win 9-4 to complete a sweep of the Red Sox.

Colton Cowser's role in sweeping Red Sox earns Orioles Player of the Week honors.

Cowser finished his first series in Boston going 6-13 with three doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI and a stolen base. If his offense wasn't enough, Cowser also flashed the leather, making several very good plays in front of the Green Monster.

But Cowser wasn't done yet.

The first game against the Milwaukee Brewers was one O's fans would like to forget, with the exception of Cowser's first Oriole Park homer. His solo shot in the fourth inning, a 415-foot blast that left the yard at 105.1 MPH, gave the Birds their only run of the game. Cowser got the start in center field for Game 2 against former Oriole DL Hall. The significance of playing him, with confidence, against a lefty in Hall, did not escape us. Hyde decided to keep Cowser's hot bat in the lineup while reinserting Austin Hays. Cowser went 1-4 with a stolen base and a run scored, but the Orioles again fell short.

Game 3 against the Brew Crew saw the Orioles get back in the win column with a 6-4 victory. Cowser went 1-3 with a solo homer in the eighth inning off Brewers lefty Hoby Milner, which gave the O's their sixth run and a little extra breathing room. Cowser finished the week 10-23 with four doubles, four home runs, six runs scored, 12 RBI and two stolen bases. He got at least one hit in all six games, posted three mutli-hit performances, and will look to continue his hitting streak on Monday as the Orioles welcome the Minnesota Twins to town.