By: Hubble Smith, Sports Editor

Las Vegas 51s infielder Wilmer Flores is blasting the ball since being sent down from the New York Mets in June and was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for July 6.

Flores, 22, connected for six home runs in five games, the first Las Vegas player to accomplish the feat since Melvin Nieves in 1994. He recorded a league-high 13 hits, 12 runs and 16 RBIs during the week, hitting safely in eight games for a .382 average.

In a four-game series at Albuquerque, Flores went 7-for-14 and drove in 12 runs. In 41 games with Las Vegas this year, the 6-3, 205-pound righthander is batting .327 with 11 home runs.

By: Hubble Smith, Sports Editor

Hard-hitting first baseman Allan Dykstra was selected Thursday as the lone representative from the first-place Las Vegas 51s to play in the Triple-A All-Star Game July 16 at Durham, N.C.

Dykstra is hitting .283 with 12 home runs and leads the 51s with 56 RBIs. He’ll be the Pacific Coast League’s designated hitter.

Originally from San Diego, Dykstra was selected by his hometown Padres in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2008 draft out of Wake Forest University, where he was seen as one of the top power hitters in college baseball. He’s a big guy at 6-5 and 215 pounds and plays solid defense at first base.