Braves' Minor, Yankees' Kuroda top players for Wednesday, July 31

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Wednesday, July 31:

Braves pitcher Mike Minor is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Minor pitched seven scoreless innings in the 9-0 win over the Rockies.

Minor earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.0 points for the season, putting him in 24th place among players. 

Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is American League Player of the Day. Kuroda pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out eight in the 3-0 win over the Dodgers. 

Torii Hunter of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Hunter homered and went 4-for-5 in the 11-1 win over the Nationals. 

David DeJesus of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. DeJesus went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs in the 6-1 win over the Brewers. 

Minor receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kuroda receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hunter and DeJesus each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

731	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Minor (W, 11-5)	7.0	2	0	0	0	6
	10.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brett Oberholtzer (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	0	0	0	6
AL	9.0	`Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hiroki Kuroda	7.0	5	0	0	1	8
	8.1	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Homer Bailey (W, 6-10)	8.1	6	1	0	0	7
	7.1	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wade Miley (W, 8-8)	6.1	2	0	0	5	8
	5.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chad Gaudin (W, 5-2)	7.0	4	1	1	1	5
BAT	4.0	Tigers	Torii Hunter RF	5	2	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.1	`Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Martin Perez	7.1	4	1	1	2	4
BAT	3.0	Cubs	David DeJesus CF	3	1	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tony Watson (W, 3-1)	2.0	2	0	0	0	3
	2.1	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Dunn (S, 2)	1.1	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Greg Holland (S, 28)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Casey Janssen (W, 4-0)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Perez (W, 4-1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Red Sox	Dustin Pedroia 2B	6	2	2	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Pirates' Cumpton, Royals' Santana top players for Tuesday, July 30

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Tuesday, July 30:

Pirates pitcher Brandon Cumpton is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Cumpton pitched seven shutout innings in the 6-0 win over the Cardinals. 

This was Cumpton's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,240th player to debut since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995. 

Cumpton had a Box-Toppers game score of 8.0, which was tied with another Pirates pitcher, A.J. Burnett, who was Player of the Game in the first game of a doubleheader with the Cardinals. Burnett (7IP 9K in the 2-1, 11-inning win) was topped by his teammate in a tie-breaker since Cumpton earned a win, while Burnett earned a no-decision.

Royals pitcher Ervin Santana is American League Player of the Day. Santana struck out eight over seven innings in the 7-2 win over the Twins.

Freddie Freeman of the Braves is National League Batter of the Day. Freeman hit two home runs and drove in four in the 11-3 win over the Rockies. 

Geovany Soto of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Soto hit a three-run homer in the 14-11 win over the Angels. 

Notable: Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke (7IP 7K ND in 3-2 win vs. the Yankees) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.7 for the season, 11th place overall. Chris Davis (HR, 2RBI in 4-3 win vs. the Astros) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.2 for the season, 14th place overall.

Cumpton receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Santana receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Freeman and Soto each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

730	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon Cumpton (W, 1-1)	7.0	3	0	0	1	5
	8.0	`Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett	7.0	3	1	1	3	9
AL	6.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ervin Santana (W, 7-6)	7.0	4	2	2	1	8
	6.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon Workman (W, 1-1)	6.0	6	1	1	1	9
BAT	5.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	4	3	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Roberto Hernandez (W, 6-11)	9.0	5	2	2	1	6
	5.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke	7.0	5	2	2	0	7
	5.0	`Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Thornburg	6.0	4	0	0	3	6
	4.0	Brewers	Khris Davis LF	1	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Buehrle (W, 7-7)	7.0	5	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Rangers	Geovany Soto C	4	2	2	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Orioles	Chris Davis DH	2	2	1	2	2	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Indians	Ryan Raburn PH, DH	1	1	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Phillies	Michael Young 3B	4	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Tigers	Alex Avila C	4	1	1	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Juan Lagares CF	3	0	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Padres	Will Venable RF	3	1	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Rays' Price, Pirates' Liriano top players for Monday, July 29

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Monday, July 29:

Rays pitcher David Price is Monday's Player of the Day. Price struck out eight and gave up only one run and two hits over 7 1/3 innings in the 2-1 win over the Red Sox.

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano is National League Player of the Day. Liriano struck out eight and gave up one run over seven innings in the 9-2 win over the Cardinals.

Liriano earned 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season. He is the 23rd player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and he rises to 19th place among all players for the season. 

Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Cespedes homered, went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs in the 9-4 win over the Blue Jays.

Daniel Murphy of the Mets is NL Batter of the Day. Murphy went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs in the 6-5 win over the Marlins. 

Price receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Liriano receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cespedes and Murphy each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Monday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

729	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.1	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Price (W, 6-5)	7.1	2	1	1	0	8
NL	7.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Francisco Liriano (W, 11-4)	7.0	4	1	1	2	8
	4.1	`Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Carpenter	2.1	1	0	0	0	3
	4.0	`Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Lohse	6.0	5	0	0	3	6
BAT	3.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	5	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy 2B	4	2	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Chris Denorfia PH	1	1	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Frasor (W, 1-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Indians	Jason Giambi PH, DH	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Marlins' Jose Fernandez tops players for Sunday, July 28, rising to 15th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Sunday, July 28:

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez is Sunday's Player of the Day. Fernandez struck out 13 over eight innings in the 3-2 win over the Pirates.

Fernandez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season. He rises to 15th place among all players. He is the 22nd player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. 

Indians pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is American League Player of the Day. Jimenez allowed no runs and two hits over eight innings in the 6-0 win over the Rangers. 

Denard Span of the Nationals is National League Batter of the Day. Span hit a two-run home run and went 4-for-4 in the 14-1 win over the Mets. 

Nick Franklin of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Franklin hit two home runs, drove in four and went 3-for-4 in the 6-4 win over the Twins. 

Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Jimenez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Span and Franklin each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Sunday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

728	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Fernandez (W, 7-5)	8.0	5	2	2	0	13
	11.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyson Ross (W, 2-4)	8.0	3	0	0	1	7
AL	9.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ubaldo Jimenez (W, 8-5)	8.0	2	0	0	3	6
	9.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Lester (W, 10-6)	7.0	4	0	0	2	8
	9.0	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Todd Redmond	6.0	3	1	1	2	10
	7.2	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Capuano	6.2	3	0	0	0	4
BAT	6.0	Nationals	Denard Span CF	4	3	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	5.0	Mariners	Nick Franklin 2B	4	2	3	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Travis Wood (W, 7-7)	7.0	4	1	0	4	7
	4.0	Yankees	Alfonso Soriano LF	5	2	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luke Hochevar	2.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Athletics	Eric Sogard 2B	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Tigers	Jhonny Peralta SS	5	1	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Braves	Chris Johnson 3B	4	3	3	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rockies	Michael Cuddyer RF	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Rays' Chris Archer tops players for Saturday, July 27; Masterson reaffirms top spot in Box-Toppers points

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Saturday, July 27:

Rays pitcher Chris Archer is Saturday's Player of the Day, while Indians pitcher Justin Masterson reaffirmed his top spot among players in Box-Toppers points for the season.

Archer pitched a complete game two-hit shutout, striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Yankees.

Masterson  (7.2IP 0R 8K in 1-0 win vs. Rangers) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 16.4 points for the season, most among all players.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is National League Player of the Day. Ryu struck out nine and gave up two hits over seven innings in the 4-1 win over the Reds.

Stephen Drew of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Drew hit two home runs, drove in five runs and went 3-for-4 in the 7-3 win over the Orioles. 

Chris Denorfia of the Padres is NL Batter of the Day. Denorfia homered and scored three runs in the 12-3 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Notable: Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer rose to 10th place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. Scherzer (6IP 0R 7K in 10-0 win vs. Phillies) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season.

Archer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ryu receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Drew and Denorfia each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Saturday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

727	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Archer (W, 6-3)	9.0	2	0	0	0	6
	12.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 15-1)	6.0	1	0	0	0	7
NL	11.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 9-3)	7.0	2	1	1	1	9
	10.0	`Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran	7.0	2	0	0	1	6
	9.2	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Masterson (W, 12-7)	7.2	5	0	0	1	8
BAT	7.0	Red Sox	Stephen Drew SS	4	3	3	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	7.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Samuel Deduno (W, 7-4)	7.0	3	0	0	3	6
	7.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Haren (W, 5-11)	7.0	3	1	1	1	6
	5.0	`Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Rusin	7.0	3	0	0	2	3
	4.1	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wade Davis (W, 5-9)	7.1	4	0	0	3	4
BAT	3.0	Padres	Chris Denorfia CF, RF, LF	3	3	1	2	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Athletics	Derek Norris PH, C	1	1	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jim Henderson (S, 12)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Pirates	Neil Walker 2B	5	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Astros	Chris Carter DH	3	1	1	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Orioles' Tillman, D-Backs' Delgado top players for Friday, July 26

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Friday, July 26:

Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman is Friday's Player of the Day. Tillman pitched seven scoreless innings, gave up two hits and struck out eight in the 6-0 win over the Red Sox. 

Diamondbacks pitcher Randall Delgado is National League Player of the Day. Delgado pitched a complete game shutout in the 10-0 win over the Padres. 

Daniel Murphy of the Mets is NL Batter of the Day. Murphy hit two home runs, drove in five runs and went 4-for-5 in the 11-0 win over the Nationals. 

Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays is American League Batter of the Day. Encarnacion hit two home runs, drove in five runs and went 3-for-4 in the 12-6 win over the Astros. 

Notable: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (8IP 1R 8K in the 2-1 win vs. the Reds) was Player of the Game and earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.7 points for the season, in fourth place overall among players this season. 

Tillman receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Delgado receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Murphy and Encarnacion each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Friday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

726	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Tillman (W, 13-3)	7.0	2	0	0	3	8
	9.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Doug Fister (W, 9-5)	8.0	3	1	0	1	6
NL	8.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Randall Delgado (W, 3-3)	9.0	3	0	0	1	3
	8.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw (W, 10-6)	8.0	6	1	1	0	8
	8.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Chatwood (W, 7-3)	7.0	6	2	2	0	11
	8.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Henderson Alvarez (W, 1-1)	6.0	2	0	0	1	5
BAT	7.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy 2B	5	3	4	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	7.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion DH	4	3	3	5	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Minor (W, 10-5)	7.0	4	1	1	0	5
	5.0	`Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ross Ohlendorf	7.0	6	1	1	2	8
	3.1	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Guerrier (W, 4-4)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Athletics	Jed Lowrie SS	4	1	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rays	James Loney 1B	5	1	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Royals	David Lough RF	3	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Indians	Ryan Raburn DH	6	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Twins	Chris Colabello PH, RF	3	1	1	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Indians' Justin Masterson leads Box-Toppers rankings; Corbin, Cabrera, Gonzalez among points leaders

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers weekly player standings as of Thursday, July 25:

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson leads all players in Box-Toppers points as of Thursday, July 25, with 15.4 points. 

Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin leads all National League players. He has 15.4 points, same as Masterson, but Masterson holds the lead because he has more points than Corbin over the past two seasons (23.1 vs. 21.4). 

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, in fifth place overall with 13.4 points, is leader among American League batters. 

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies leads among NL batters with 11.0 points. He is in 13th place overall. 

Twenty-one players (17 of them pitchers) have accumulated 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points so far this season. 

Previous player rankings report from July 18. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work?

Top players

As of Thursday, July 25

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	15.4
2	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	15.4
3	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
4	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	13.7
5	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	13.4
6	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	13.4
7	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	13.0
8	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	12.7
9	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	11.7
10	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	11.4
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	15.4
2	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
3	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	11.4
4	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	11.0
5	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	10.7
6	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	10.7
7	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	10.7
8	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	10.1
9	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	9.0
10	Wilson, C.J. 2074	pi sp	ana al	8.1
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	13.4
2	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	10.2
3	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	8.2
4	Kipnis, Jason 2933	2b	cle al	7.0
5	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	7.0
6	Butler, Billy 2330	dh	kc al	6.5
7	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	6.5
8	Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	tex al	5.7
9	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	5.7
10	Johnson, Kelly 2018	lf	tb al	5.5
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	15.4
2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	13.7
3	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	13.4
4	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	13.0
5	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	12.7
6	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	11.7
7	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	11.4
8	Zimmermann, Jordan 2612	pi sp	dc nl	10.7
9	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	10.7
10	Lee, Cliff 1798	pi sp	phi nl	9.4
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	11.0
2	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	10.7
3	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	8.4
4	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	7.5
5	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	7.0
6	Posey, Buster 2745	ca	sf nl	7.0
7	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	6.7
8	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	6.5
9	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	6.5
10	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	6.2

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

St. Louis Cardinals hold top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings as of July 25; Rays top all AL teams

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers weekly team standings as of Thursday, July 25:

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to hold the top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings for the 11th straight time, but the Tampa Bay Rays have risen to take the top spot among American League teams.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points this season with 80.7. The Rays, with 73.2 points, passed the previous AL leader Boston Red Sox, who fell to fourth overall with 72.5 points.

The Kansas City Royals were the hottest team of the past week, picking up 7.9 Box-Toppers points, giving them 54.1 points, rising to 23rd place overall.

The Cincinnati Reds were the hottest NL team of the past week, picking up 7.2 points and rising from seventh place to third, with 72.8 points.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (a preseason pick to win the World Series by some ...) made their debut in the Box-Toppers top 10 team list, picking up 6.5 points over the past week, giving them 69.3 points, moving from 11th to eighth place overall. 

Top 10 teams

725	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	80.7	6.5	1
2	Rays	73.2	6.0	4
3	Reds	72.8	7.2	7
4	Red Sox	72.5	3.5	2
5	Tigers	72.4	5.0	3
6	Orioles	69.6	5.5	9
7	Indians	69.6	3.4	5
8	Dodgers	69.3	6.5	11
9	Athletics	68.7	3.0	6
10	Rangers	68.3	4.0	8

BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.

BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday. 

Blue Jays’ Mark Buehrle (2-hit shutout) is top player for Thursday, July 25

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Thursday, July 25:

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Buehrle threw a complete game, two-hit shutout, striking out nine, in the 4-0 win over the Astros.

Marlins pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is National League Player of the Day. Eovaldi threw six shutout innings but earned a no-decision in the 5-3 win over the Rockies.

Bryce Harper of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Harper hit the walk-off two-run homer and went 3-for-5 in the 9-7 win over the Pirates.

Albert Pujols of the Angels is American League Batter of the Day. Pujols went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs in the 8-3 win over the Athletics.

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn rose to 11th place among players and Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma rose to 18th place, after both earned Player of the Game honors Thursday.

Lynn (7IP 1R in 3-1 win vs. Phillies) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.4 for the season.

Iwakuma (6IP 3H 0R in 8-2 win vs. Twins) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season.

Buehrle receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Eovaldi receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Harper and Pujols each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

725	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Buehrle (W, 6-7)	9.0	2	0	0	2	9
	10.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 10-4)	6.0	4	0	0	1	9
NL	5.0	`Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nathan Eovaldi	6.0	3	0	0	2	4
BAT	3.0	Nationals	Bryce Harper LF	5	3	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Carlos Quentin LF	3	1	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hiroki Kuroda (W, 10-6)	7.0	6	0	0	1	3
BAT	2.0	Angels	Albert Pujols DH	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	White Sox	Tyler Flowers C	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Royals	Billy Butler DH	3	2	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn (W, 12-5)	7.0	5	1	1	4	6
	1.2	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wade Miley (W, 7-8)	7.2	5	1	1	3	4
	1.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy 2B	5	2	3	1	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Reds	Xavier Paul LF	2	1	1	1	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Angels’ Jered Weaver, Indians’ Scott Kazmir top players for Wednesday, July 24

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Wednesday, July 24:

Angels pitcher Jered Weaver is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Weaver threw eight shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out nine in the 1-0 win over the Twins.

Indians pitcher Scott Kazmir is American League Player of the Day. Kazmir gave up one hit and one run and struck out seven over eight innings in the 10-1 win over the Mariners.

Nate Schierholtz of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. Schierholtz homered and drove in five runs in the 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks.

Eric Hosmer of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Hosmer hit two home runs and drove in three in the 4-3 win over the Orioles.

Weaver receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kazmir receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Schierholtz and Hosmer each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

724	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jered Weaver (W, 5-5)	8.0	2	0	0	1	9
AL	11.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Kazmir (W, 6-4)	8.0	1	1	0	2	7
	10.2	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Francisco Liriano (W, 10-4)	7.2	2	0	0	3	8
	6.1	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Garza (W, 1-0)	7.1	5	1	0	0	5
	6.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Price (W, 5-5)	9.0	5	1	1	0	4
	6.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Lohse (W, 7-7)	7.0	5	1	1	0	6
	5.2	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tim Hudson (W, 8-7)	7.2	4	2	2	3	9
	5.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jorge De La Rosa (W, 10-5)	6.0	5	0	0	1	5
	4.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Anibal Sanchez (W, 8-7)	6.0	6	0	0	1	5
BAT	3.0	Cubs	Nate Schierholtz RF	6	1	3	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon League (W, 5-3)	2.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.1	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Griffin (W, 9-7)	6.1	6	3	3	0	8
	2.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	4	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Reds	Joey Votto 1B	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Cardinals’ Miller tops players for Tuesday, July 23; D-Backs Corbin rises to 2nd among players

Note: Playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Tuesday, July 23:

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin rises to second place in Box-Toppers points for the season.

Miller threw six shutout innings in the 4-1 win over the Phillies to earn Player of the Day honors. Miller earns 2.0 Box-Toppers for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.4 for the season, moving him up to sixth place among players.

Corbin (6IP 6K in 10-4 win vs. Cubs) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 15.4 points for the season, moving him into second place among players. Though he has the same number of points as leader Justin Masterson of the Indians, Masterson holds the lead because he has more points than Corbin over the past two seasons (23.1 vs. 21.4).

Royals pitcher Bruce Chen is American League Player of the Day. Chen gave up one run over six innings in the 3-2 win over the Orioles.

Zack Cozart of the Reds is National League Batter of the Day. Cozart went 4-for-4 and homered in the 9-3 win over the Giants.

Chris Herrmann of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Herrmann hit a grand slam and went 3-for-5 in the 10-3 win over the Angels.

Miller receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Chen receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Cozart and Herrmann each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

723	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shelby Miller (W, 10-6)	6.0	3	0	0	1	6
	6.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gerrit Cole (W, 5-3)	7.0	2	1	1	1	4
	6.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyson Ross (W, 1-4)	6.0	2	1	1	2	6
BAT	5.0	Reds	Zack Cozart SS	4	3	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	5.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bruce Chen (W, 4-0)	6.0	3	1	1	0	4
	4.1	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Sergio Romo (S, 24)	1.1	1	0	0	0	4
	4.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	4	3	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Fernandez (W, 6-5)	7.0	5	2	2	2	8
	3.1	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Lester (W, 9-6)	6.1	7	2	2	0	8
BAT	3.0	Twins	Chris Herrmann C	5	1	3	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Patrick Corbin (W, 12-1)	6.0	4	1	1	3	6
	3.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mariano Rivera (S, 32)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bobby Parnell (S, 19)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Tigers	Jhonny Peralta SS	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	4	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Astros	Jonathan Villar SS	4	2	3	0	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Eulogy to Dad, Chuck Plank 1937-2013

We'll be back catching up and posting Box-Toppers results shortly.

The death of my father came quickly though it was not entirely unexpected. It has kept me from updating this site for nearly two weeks. 

Here is a post from my personal website, shawnplank.com, with my eulogy for Dad and other thoughts. 

Thanks.