Rodriguez, Halladay awarded April AL honors

May 2, 2007, 21:25 GMT

New York, NY - New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay were selected as the American League's best for the month of April.

Rodriguez captured Player of the Month after hitting .355 with a major league leading 14 home runs and 34 runs batted in. The 31-year old Rodriguez tied the mark for most home runs hit in April, equaling last April's mark of St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.

Rodriguez also finished one RBI shy of Juan Gonzalez's major league record for most RBI in April set in 1998 with the Texas Rangers.

Rodriguez hit safely in his first 18 games this season and won the American League Player of the Month Award for the eighth time and fourth time as a Yankee.

Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim finished second in the voting.

Halladay was 4-0 with a 2.28 earned run average in six starts to garner the Pitcher of the Month award. He has 33 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings and pitched two complete games in the month.

A four-time All-Star and winner of the 2003 AL Cy Young award, this is the third career American League Pitcher of the Month Award for Halladay.

Josh Beckett (5-0, 2.48 ERA of the Boston Red Sox finished second in the voting to Halladay.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Hideki Okajima, who fanned 17 batters in 12.2 innings pitched, earned American League Rookie of the Month honors.

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