Rays' Archer tops players for Friday, Sept. 13, Cards' Wainwright rises to 4th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Rays pitcher Chris Archer is Friday's Player of the Day, while Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Archer pitched six shutout innings and struck out seven in the 3-0 win over the Twins. Archer rises to 41st in Box-Toppers player rankings. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season. 

Wainwright rises from sixth to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Friday (see the updated top 10 list on the home page).  Wainwright (8IP 1R 6K ND in 2-1, 10-inning win vs. Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 17.7 for the season.

Wainwright is among five National League pitchers holding down the top five overall spots in Box-Toppers player rankings, all of whom are only 1.6 points apart. With only two weeks left in the season, that makes the race for top NL pitcher—and top overall Box-Toppers points leader—a virtual toss-up. The current overall leader is Marlins rookie pitcher Jose Fernandez with 19.0 Box-Toppers points. (Fernandez is not scheduled pitch again this season.) Any one of the four pitchers trailing Fernandez could claim the top overall spot after their next start.

Brewers pitcher Kyle Lohse is American League Player of the Day. Lohse pitched a complete game, giving up only one run, in the 5-1 win over the Reds.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Saltalamacchia hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 8-4 win over the Yankees. 

Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Zimmerman homered and went 3-for-5 in the 6-1 win over the Phillies. 

Archer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lohse receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Saltalamacchia and Zimmerman 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

913	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Archer (W, 9-7)	6.0	3	0	0	0	7
NL	7.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Lohse (W, 10-9)	9.0	4	1	1	1	5
	6.2	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Danny Salazar	3.2	4	0	0	2	9
BAT	5.0	Red Sox	Jarrod Saltalamacchia C	3	2	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	3	2	2	3	2	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez 3B	2	1	1	4	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	`Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Wainwright	8.0	6	1	1	2	6
	4.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nick Vincent (W, 5-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.2	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tommy Hunter (W, 5-4)	1.2	1	0	0	0	3
BAT	2.0	Nationals	Ryan Zimmerman 3B	5	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rockies	Wilin Rosario C	5	1	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cubs	Brian Bogusevic LF	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Tigers	Prince Fielder 1B	4	1	2	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Andrew Brown RF	2	2	1	1	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Giants	Hunter Pence RF	4	2	2	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 leads all players in Box-Toppers points—does he have a shot at Cy Young? Probably not

With only two weeks left in the season, Box-Toppers has a new leader atop player standings—rookie Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez. 

Fernandez, who has 19.0 Box-Toppers points this season, passed last week's leader, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 18.7 points and is in second place. 

But Fernandez' days atop player rankings may be numbered. He made what was expected to be his final start of the season this week, in part to protect his young arm and also because the Marlins are not in the playoff hunt.

The race for the not-at-all coveted top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings is a tight one. Any one of the top 10 players, who are within 2.9 Box-Toppers points of the lead, could rise and claim it. Nine of the top 10 players are pitchers and could have two or three starts left in the season, giving them plenty of opportunity to pick up 3.0 or more Box-Toppers points to claim the top spot.

The race for top National League pitcher is extremely tight, with Fernandez currently narrowly leading the way. The top four players are all National League pitchers and are only 1.6 points apart. So, for example, if Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin were to earn at least NL Player of the Day honors in his next start, he would earn 1.7 points and have 19.1 for the season, enough to pass Fernandez.

The top American League player remains Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers. The third baseman—the sole batter among the top 10—has 16.9 Box-Toppers points and is in fifth place overall. Though other AL pitchers could challenge him for overall top AL player in Box-Toppers points, his lead among AL batters seems secure—he leads second-place player Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees (12.9) by 4.0 Box-Toppers points.

The top American League pitcher remains Justin Masterson of the Indians with 16.4 Box-Toppers points. He falls from seventh to eight place overall. Masterson continues to lead AL pitchers despite not scoring a Box-Toppers point since July 27. 

Still, he has maintained a narrow lead among AL pitchers of 1.3 points or less since then. In other words, Masterson is not exactly on fire and no other AL pitchers seem eager to steal his crown from him. (Masterson has been injured recently but hopes to return to pitching before the end of the season.) 

Masterson's lead among AL pitchers does appear shaky, with five other pitchers within 1.5 Box-Toppers points of catching him with two weeks left. 

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks continues to lead among NL batters with 12.7 Box-Toppers points. There are three players who trail him by fewer than 2.0 Box-Toppers points. Freddie Freeman of the Braves and Michael Cuddyer of the Rockies, both of whom have 11.5 Box-Toppers points and both of whom have been hot recently, seem to have the best shot of catching Goldschmidt.

Now: Would any of these leaders in Box-Toppers points categories have any shot at all of winning actual coveted postseason awards? 

For example, if Fernandez keeps his lead among NL pitchers, would he be worthy of winning the NL Cy Young Award? Worthy? Yes. Will he get it? Unlikely, since he comes from a non-playoff team and an ignored media market.  It will probably be Kershaw. However, Fernandez should receive more-than-serious consideration for NL Rookie of the Year.

Will Justin Masterson win the AL Cy Young if he keeps his lead? No, probably not. Though Box-Toppers credits him with being most responsible for bringing his teams wins more often, I don't think he is viewed as The One for the Indians. Plus, the Tigers have overshadowed the Indians in the AL Central and their pitchers, especially Max Scherzer who has 19 wins, have been the media favorites.

Will Cabrera win AL most valuable player? Yes. He should. 

Will Goldschmidt win NL MVP? No. Again, he's playing for a non-playoff team. Freddie Freeman of the Braves, in second in Box-Toppers NL batters list, would be a good candidate, but I think writers will probably pick an "intangible" guy, a leader in the clubhouse, a "spark plug" on the field, a light-hitting catcher or something. Or perhaps even someone like Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers. Though the rookie is a media juggernaut, he earned his 1.5 and only Box-Toppers points of the season on June 4.

Previous player rankings report from Sept. 5. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work? 

Top players

As of Thursday, Sept. 12

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	19.0
2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	18.4
4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
5	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
6	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	16.7
7	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
8	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
9	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	16.1
10	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	16.1
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
2	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	16.1
3	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	16.1
4	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	15.4
5	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
6	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
7	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	13.1
8	Tillman, Chris 2754	pi sp	bal al	12.7
9	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	12.4
10	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	11.1
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
2	Soriano, Alfonso 1445	lf	nyy al	12.9
3	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	12.7
4	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	12.5
5	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	12.4
6	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf dh lf ph	cle al	9.5
7	Butler, Billy 2330	dh	kc al	9.0
8	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	8.7
9	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	8.5
10	Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	tex al	8.4
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	19.0
2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	18.4
4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
5	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	16.7
6	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
7	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	15.4
8	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	15.0
9	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	14.7
10	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	14.1
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	12.7
2	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	11.5
3	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	11.5
4	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	11.0
5	Venable, Will 2621	rf cf	sd nl	9.0
6	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	8.4
7	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	7.7
8	Phillips, Brandon 1691	2b	cin nl	7.5
9	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	7.5
10	Murphy, Daniel 2589	2b	nym nl	7.5

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

Los Angeles Dodgers stay atop Box-Toppers team rankings for second week

The Los Angeles Dodgers are atop Box-Toppers power rankings for the second straight week. 

Dodgers players have accumulated 115.2 Box-Toppers points this season. Two of the top three players in Box-Toppers points this season are Dodgers pitchers—Clayton Kershaw (18.7, second place) and Zack Greinke (18.4, third place).

The Detroit Tigers remain the second-ranked team and the top American League team. The Tigers have 112.7 Box-Toppers points. 

The hottest team of the past week, the Washington Nationals, picked up 8.0 Box-Toppers points and now have 93.4 points, in 14th place overall. 

The hottest American League team, the Oakland Athletics, picked up 6.7 points and now have 101.4 points, in ninth place. 

The Texas Rangers were among the worst teams of the week, picking up only 1.0 Box-Toppers point over the past week, but they fell only one spot, from seventh to eighth place in Box-Toppers power rankings. 

The team with the best actual winning percentage, the Atlanta Braves (.603), fell from ninth to 10th place in Box-Toppers power rankings. The Boston Red Sox (.601) have the best record in the AL and are in third place in Box-Toppers rankings. The Box-Toppers-power-rankings-leader Dodgers have the third best record in baseball (.589).

Top 10 teams

Through Thursday, Sept. 12

912	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Dodgers	115.2	3.0	1
2	Tigers	112.7	4.2	2
3	Red Sox	111.7	4.5	3
4	Cardinals	108.4	6.5	5
5	Pirates	105.9	4.7	6
6	Reds	104.2	4.0	8
7	Rays	104.1	2.0	4
8	Rangers	102.0	1.0	7
9	Athletics	101.4	6.7	10
10	Braves	99.5	3.0	9

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.

Athletics' Griffin tops players for Thursday, Sept. 12, Dodgers' Greinke, 3rd in Box-Toppers player rankings, inches closer to top

Athletics pitcher A.J. Griffin is Thursday's Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke scored a Box-Toppers point to remain in third place in player rankings. 

Griffin gave up one run and two hits over seven innings, striking out eight, in the 8-2 win over the Twins. 

Greinke maintained his spot in third place on Box-Toppers' player rankings list (see the updated top 10 list on the home page) after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday.  Greinke (6IP 1R 5K ND in 3-2, 10-inning win vs. Giants) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 18.4 for the season. He trails overall leader, Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (19.0) and teammate, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (18.7), in a tight, late-season race atop the player rankings list.

Pirates pitcher Jeff Locke is National League Player of the Day. Locke gave up one run over seven innings in the 3-1 win over the Cubs. 

Ryan Raburn of the Indians is American League Batter of the Day. Raburn hit a three-run homer, drove in five runs and went 3-for-3 in the 14-3 win over the White Sox. 

Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Ruiz drove in three runs and went 3-for-3 in the 10-5 win over the Padres. 

Notable: Freddie Freeman of the Braves rises to 32nd place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. Freeman (HR 2RBI 3-4 in 6-1 win vs. Marlins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.5 for the season. 

Griffin receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Locke receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Raburn and Ruiz 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

912	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Griffin (W, 14-9)	7.0	2	1	1	1	8
BAT	7.0	Indians	Ryan Raburn LF	3	2	3	5	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
NL	6.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Locke (W, 10-5)	7.0	3	1	1	1	5
	4.2	`Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jamey Wright (BS, 1)	1.2	1	0	0	0	4
BAT	4.0	Phillies	Carlos Ruiz C	3	1	3	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	4	2	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Thornburg (W, 2-1)	6.0	3	2	2	2	6
	3.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke	6.0	4	1	1	2	5
	2.0	Nationals	Ryan Zimmerman 3B	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Angels	Kole Calhoun RF	3	1	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mariano Rivera (W, 6-2)	1.0	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.

Nats' Haren tops players for Wednesday, Sept. 11; Tigers' Sanchez rises to 10th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Nationals pitcher Dan Haren is Wednesday's Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Haren pitched six scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and striking out eight, in the 3-0 win over the Mets. 

Sanchez, American League Player of the Day, rises to 10th on the season's Box-Toppers player rankings (see the top 10 player list on the home page). Sanchez pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings and struck out 10 in the 1-0 win over the White Sox. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 16.1 for the season. 

Mike Carp of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Carp hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the top of the 10th inning to beat the Rays, 7-3. 

Jack Hannahan of the Reds is National League Batter of the Day. Hannahan homered and drove in three runs in the 6-0 win over the Cubs. 

Notables: Four other players who earned Player of the Game honors Wednesday are among the top 30 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn rises to 17th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6IP 0ER 10K ND in 5-1 win vs. Brewers), giving him 14.1 for the season.
• Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks rises to 26th place and remains the top-ranked NL batter. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (4-5 2RBI in 4-1 win vs. Dodgers), giving him 12.7 for the season. 
• Robinson Cano of the Yankees rises to 27th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (HR 2-4 2RBI in 5-4 win vs. Orioles), giving him 12.5 for the season.
• Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee rises to 28th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (8IP 9K W in 4-2 win vs. Padres), giving him 12.4 for the season.

Haren receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Sanchez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Carp and Hannahan 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

911	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Haren (W, 9-13)	6.0	1	0	0	1	8
AL	8.1	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Anibal Sanchez (W, 14-7)	7.1	5	0	0	4	10
	8.0	`Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn	6.0	5	1	0	2	10
	7.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 13-6)	8.0	5	2	2	1	9
	6.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Shields (W, 11-9)	8.0	4	2	2	1	7
BAT	5.0	Red Sox	Mike Carp PH	1	1	1	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Athletics	Jed Lowrie SS	4	2	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Reds	Jack Hannahan PH	1	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brad Peacock (W, 5-5)	6.0	3	1	1	1	4
	3.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	3	1	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Farnsworth (S, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Diamondbacks	Paul Goldschmidt 1B	5	0	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Yankees	Robinson Cano 2B	4	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Angels	Josh Hamilton DH	3	1	3	0	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Giants	Angel Pagan PH, CF	1	1	1	0	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.

Angels' Mark Trumbo (HR, 5-5) tops players for Tuesday, Sept. 10

Mark Trumbo of the Angels is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Trumbo homered and went 5-for-5 in the 12-6 win over the Blue Jays. 

Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner is National League Player of the Day. Cashner allowed two runs and struck out seven over 7 2/3 innings in the 8-2 win over the Phillies. 

Michael Cuddyer of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. Cuddyer hit two homers, including a three-run shot, went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs in the 9-8 win over the Giants. Cuddyer rises to 31st in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 11.5 for the season.

Notables: Four other Players of the Games from Tuesday are among the top 40 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season:

• Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller rises to 11th in the rankings (6.2IP 0R W in 4-2 win vs. Brewers). He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 15.4 for the season.
• Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees rises to 21st in rankings (2HR 3RBI in 7-5 win vs. Orioles).  He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 12.9 for the season.
• Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz rises to 33rd in rankings (5IP 0R 6K W in 2-0 win vs. Rays). He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.1 for the season.
• Braves closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel rises to 37th in rankings (1IP 0R 2K Sv in 4-3 win vs. Marlins). He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 10.7 for the season. 

Trumbo receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Cashner receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cuddyer receives  1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

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

910	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	7.0	Angels	Mark Trumbo 1B	5	5	5	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	7.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clay Buchholz (W, 10-0)	5.0	3	0	0	1	6
	6.2	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luke Hochevar (H, 6)	1.2	0	0	0	0	5
NL	5.2	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andrew Cashner (W, 9-8)	7.2	4	2	2	1	7
BAT	4.0	Rockies	Michael Cuddyer RF	5	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Tigers	Alex Avila C	4	2	4	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Twins	Josh Willingham LF	3	2	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.2	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shelby Miller (W, 13-9)	6.2	5	0	0	2	4
	3.0	Astros	Jose Altuve 2B	6	3	3	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Cubs	Welington Castillo C	5	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Nationals	Jayson Werth RF	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Dodgers	Scott Van Slyke PH	1	1	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Pirates	Andrew McCutchen CF	5	1	3	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Yankees	Alfonso Soriano LF	5	2	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Kimbrel (S, 46)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2

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

Nats' Gonzalez tops players for Monday, Sept. 9, White Sox' Sale rises to 9th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez is Monday's Player of the Day, while White Sox pitcher Chris Sale rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Gonzalez pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout, striking out nine, in the 9-0 win over the Mets. He did not give up the hit until the seventh inning. Gonzalez rises to 21st place among players in Box-Toppers points. He receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 12.7 for the season.

Sale, who rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season (see the updated top 10 list on the home page), is American League Player of the Day. Sale gave up one run and struck out eight over eight innings in the 5-1 win over the Tigers. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 16.1 for the season.

Jimmy Paredes of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Paredes went 1-for-3 and drove in two runs in the 6-4 win over the Mariners. This was Paredes' Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,278th player to debut on Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Angel Pagan of the Giants is National League Batter of the Day. Pagan went 3-for-5 in the 3-2, 10-inning win over the Rockies. 

Notables: Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman rises to 24th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season and Indians pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez rises to 34th after both earned Player of the Game honors Monday: 

• Tillman (7IP 9K W in 4-2 win vs. Yankees) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.7 for the season.
• Jimenez (7IP 0ER 10K W in 4-3 win vs. Royals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.8 for the season. 

Gonzalez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Sale receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Paredes and Pagan 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

909	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gio Gonzalez (W, 10-6)	9.0	1	0	0	2	8
	11.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gerrit Cole (W, 7-7)	7.0	3	0	0	2	9
AL	9.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Sale (W, 11-12)	8.0	4	1	1	1	8
	9.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ubaldo Jimenez (W, 11-9)	7.0	7	1	0	0	10
	8.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Tillman (W, 16-5)	7.0	4	2	2	0	9
	8.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Travis Wood (W, 9-11)	7.0	6	0	0	0	7
	7.2	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ricky Nolasco (W, 13-9)	6.2	3	1	0	1	6
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Casey Fien (W, 4-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Kimbrel (S, 45)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	1.0	Astros	Jimmy Paredes RF	3	1	1	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	0.0	Giants	Angel Pagan CF	5	2	3	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Giants' Madison Bumgarner (6IP 0R 9K ND) tops players for Sunday, Sept. 8

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is Sunday's Player of the Day. Bumgarner struck out nine over six scoreless innings in the 3-2, 11-inning win over the Diamondbacks.

Bumgarner did not earn a win-loss decision in the game because the Diamondbacks tied the score 2-2 in the eighth inning after he left the game with the lead in the sixth inning.

Bumgarner rises to 13th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 14.7 for the season.

Blue Jays pitcher Esmil Rogers is American League Player of the Day. Rogers pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in the 2-0 win over the Twins. 

Eric Hosmer of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Hosmer hit a three-run homer and went 3-for-4 in the 5-2 win over the Tigers. 

Nick Hundley of the Padres is National League Batter of the Day. Hundley hit a pinch-hit three-run double to beat the Rockies, 5-2. 

Notables: Three of Sunday's Players of the Games are among the top 40 in the Box-Toppers player rankings for the season:

• Reds pitcher Homer Bailey rises to 20th place. Bailey (7IP 9K ND in 3-2 win vs. Dodgers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 13.0 for the season.
• Robinson Cano of the Yankees rises to 29th place. Cano (3-4 2RBI in 4-3 win vs. Red Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.5 for the season. 
• Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels rises to 38th place. Hamels (8IP 2H 9K W in 3-2 win vs. Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 10.4 for the season.

Bumgarner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Rogers receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hosmer and Hundley 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

908	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Madison Bumgarner	6.0	4	0	0	0	9
	9.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cole Hamels (W, 7-13)	8.0	2	2	2	2	9
AL	7.2	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Esmil Rogers (W, 5-7)	7.2	3	0	0	1	4
	7.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yovani Gallardo (W, 11-9)	7.0	3	1	1	1	6
	6.0	`Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Homer Bailey	7.0	6	2	2	0	9
	5.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Michael Wacha (W, 3-0)	7.0	2	0	0	2	2
	5.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bartolo Colon (W, 15-6)	6.0	5	1	1	1	7
	3.2	`Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Daisuke Matsuzaka	5.2	3	1	1	3	6
BAT	3.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	1	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Padres	Nick Hundley PH, C	1	0	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Fernando Rodney (S, 33)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andre Rienzo (W, 2-1)	6.2	4	1	1	2	4
	2.0	Nationals	Wilson Ramos C	5	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Yankees	Robinson Cano 2B	4	0	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rangers	Alex Rios RF	4	1	2	2	1	2			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.

Cardinals' Wainwright tops players for Saturday, Sept. 7, rises to 6th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is Saturday's Player of the Day and rises to sixth place on Box-Toppers player standings for the season.

Wainwright pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits and striking out eight, in the 5-0 win over the Pirates. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 16.7 for the season, rising to sixth in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page).

Athletics pitcher Dan Straily is American League Player of the Day. Straily pitched seven shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out seven, in the 2-1 win over the Astros.

Wainwright and Straily had identical 11.0 Box-Toppers game scores, but Wainwright earned overall Player of the Day honors because he had one more strikeout than Straily (eight vs. seven).

Adam Lind of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Lind hit two three-run homers in the 11-2 win over the Twins. 

Freddy Galvis of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Galvis hit a walk-off homer and went 4-for-5 in the 6-5 win over the Braves. 

Notable: Royals closing pitcher Greg Holland rises to 31st place on Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Holland (1IP 0H 0R 2K Sv in 4-3 win vs. Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.0 for the season. 

Wainwright receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Straily receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Lind and Galvis 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

907	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Wainwright (W, 16-9)	7.0	2	0	0	2	8
AL	11.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Straily (W, 9-7)	7.0	2	0	0	1	7
	7.0	`Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyson Ross	7.0	3	0	0	2	5
	6.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tanner Roark (W, 5-0)	6.0	4	0	0	0	4
BAT	5.0	Blue Jays	Adam Lind 1B	5	2	2	6	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes LF	4	2	3	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon McCarthy (W, 4-9)	8.0	6	1	1	1	6
	4.0	`Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wei-Yin Chen	6.0	6	2	2	0	8
	3.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Greg Holland (S, 39)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	2.0	Phillies	Freddy Galvis SS	5	1	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mariners	Kendrys Morales DH	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Indians	Nick Swisher 1B	4	2	2	2	1	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Angels	Grant Green 2B	3	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	Logan Schafer CF	2	0	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Reds	Joey Votto 1B	2	1	2	0	3	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 takes lead among players in Box-Toppers points; Giants' Petit, nearly perfect, tops players for Friday, Sept. 6

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez takes the lead in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. 

Meanwhile, Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, who nearly threw a perfect game, is Friday's overall Player of the Day. 

Fernandez pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only one hit and striking out nine in the 7-0 win over the Nationals. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being top player in the game, giving him 19.0 for the season. He moves from second to first in the Box-Toppers player ranking list, passing previous leader Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (18.7 points), who had led since Aug. 17 (see the updated top 10 player rankings list on the home page). This is the first time Fernandez has led in Box-Toppers points this season. 

Though Fernandez' performance Friday was impressive and his Box-Toppers game score of 13.0 would usually be enough to earn Player of the Day honors, there were three other players who had better scores Friday. 

Petit, who had a Box-Toppers game score of 15.0, is Friday's overall top player. Petit was one strike away from a perfect game in the 3-0 win over the Diamondbacks. He gave up one hit with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning. He struck out seven in the complete game shutout.

This is Petit's first Box-Toppers Player of the Game honor since Aug. 27, 2009 when he was with the Diamondbacks.

Indians pitcher Scott Kazmir is American League Player of the Day. Kazmir struck out 12 over six scoreless innings in the 8-1 win over the Mets. 

Omar Infante of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Infante went 5-for-6 and drove in six runs in the 16-2 win over the Royals.

Jon Jay of the Cardinals is National League Batter of the Day. Jay went 3-for-4, scored three times and drove in three runs in the 12-8 win over the Pirates.  

Notable: Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee rises to 29th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Lee (8IP 2H 1R 10K W in 2-1 win vs. Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.4 for the season. 

Petit receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kazmir receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Infante and Jay 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

906	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	15.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yusmeiro Petit (W, 3-0)	9.0	1	0	0	0	7
	14.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 12-6)	8.0	2	1	1	0	10
AL	14.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Kazmir (W, 8-7)	6.0	4	0	0	0	12
	13.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Fernandez (W, 11-6)	7.0	1	0	0	2	9
BAT	8.0	Tigers	Omar Infante 2B	5	2	5	6	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	7.1	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Carlos Villanueva (W, 5-8)	2.1	0	0	0	0	5
	7.0	Red Sox	Mike Napoli 1B	3	3	3	4	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Feldman (W, 5-4)	9.0	5	0	0	1	3
BAT	5.0	Cardinals	Jon Jay CF	4	3	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Reds	Joey Votto 1B	2	2	2	2	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	5	3	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Angels	Mark Trumbo 1B	4	1	1	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	3	1	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Blue Jays	Jose Reyes SS	3	2	1	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Padres	Jesus Guzman PH	1	0	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Dodgers' Kershaw keeps lead in Box-Toppers player rankings; Cabera, Masterson, Goldschmidt among leaders

There were no changes among leaders in Box-Toppers player rankings categories this week. 

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw maintains his top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings, while Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers keeps his lead among American League players.

Kershaw has 18.7 Box-Toppers points to lead for the third straight week. 

Cabrera has 16.9 points to lead all AL players. He falls from fourth to fifth place among all players.

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson leads among AL pitchers with 16.4 Box-Toppers points. (He falls from fifth to seventh among all players.)

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks  leads among NL batters with 11.7 Box-Toppers points. Goldschmidt falls from 25th to 27th among all players.

Forty-one players have accumulated 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points so far this season, including nine batters.

Previous player rankings report from Aug. 29. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work?

Top players

As of Thursday, Sept. 5

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
2	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	18.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	17.4
4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
5	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
6	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
7	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
8	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	15.4
9	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
10	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
2	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	15.4
3	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
4	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
5	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	14.4
6	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	14.4
7	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	13.1
8	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	12.4
9	Tillman, Chris 2754	pi sp	bal al	11.7
10	Lester, Jon 2173	pi sp	bos al	10.7
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
2	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	12.7
3	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	12.4
4	Soriano, Alfonso 1445	lf	nyy al	11.9
5	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	10.5
6	Butler, Billy 2330	dh	kc al	9.0
7	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	8.7
8	Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	tex al	8.4
9	Jones, Adam 2347	cf	bal al	8.0
10	Kipnis, Jason 2933	2b	cle al	8.0
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
2	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	18.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	17.4
4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
5	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	16.7
6	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	15.0
7	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	14.7
8	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	14.4
9	Latos, Mat 2644	pi sp	cin nl	13.4
10	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	13.1
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	11.7
2	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	11.0
3	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	10.5
4	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	10.0
5	Venable, Will 2621	rf cf	sd nl	9.0
6	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	8.4
7	Phillips, Brandon 1691	2b	cin nl	7.5
8	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	7.5
9	Murphy, Daniel 2589	2b	nym nl	7.5
10	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	7.0

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

Los Angeles Dodgers, after season-long climb, take top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings

The Los Angeles Dodgers are now Box-Toppers' top team. 

The Dodgers, the hottest team since June and the hottest team of the past week, have catapulted from early-season obscurity to steadily climbing Box-Toppers team rankings, rising this week to the No. 1 spot. 

Dodgers players have accumulated 112.2 Box-Toppers points this season, including 13.2 this past week, more than any other team. They picked up 7.0 of those Box-Toppers points by acquiring two players this past week: 

• Michael Young, 3B, acquired in a trade from the Phillies. He has 4.0 Box-Toppers points.
• Edinson Volquez, PI, signed after being released by the Padres.  He has 3.0 Box-Toppers points.

The Dodgers were the preseason favorite to win the World Series, a pick that seemed doomed in May when the team got off to a slow start. They started winning in June and were so far back, they did not debut in the Box-Toppers top 10 team rankings until July 25. Last week, they took over top spot among National League teams. And this week, they rose from third place overall to the top spot.  

The Dodgers pass last week's top team, the Detroit Tigers, which topped Box-Toppers power rankings for four weeks. The Tigers, with 108.5 points, second place overall, still have more Box-Toppers points than any other American League team.

The second-hottest team of the past week, the Pittsburgh Pirates, picked up 10.2 Box-Toppers points, giving them 101.2 points the season, rising from ninth to sixth place in power rankings. The Pirates picked up 4.5 of those points by acquiring first baseman Justin Morneau in a trade with the Twins. The Pirates were also the hottest team last week. 

The hottest AL team of the week is the Boston Red Sox, picking up 8.7 Box-Toppers points and rising from sixth place to third place in power rankings. 

The team with the best actual winning percentage, the Atlanta Braves (.612) , is in ninth place in Box-Toppers power rankings. The Red Sox (.599) have the best record in the AL. The Box-Toppers-power-rankings-leader Dodgers have the third best record in baseball (.597).

Top 10 teams

Through Thursday, Sept. 5

905	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Dodgers	112.2	13.2	3
2	Tigers	108.5	3.5	1
3	Red Sox	107.2	8.7	6
4	Rays	102.1	2.7	2
5	Cardinals	101.9	3.0	5
6	Pirates	101.2	10.2	9
7	Rangers	101.0	2.0	4
8	Reds	100.2	6.0	7
9	Braves	96.5	4.0	8
10	Athletics	94.7	5.0	10

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.

Astros' Peacock, Orioles' Gonzalez top players for Thursday, Sept. 5

Astros pitcher Brad Peacock is Thursday's Player of the Day. Peacock struck out nine over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Athletics.

Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez is American League Player of the Day. Gonzalez gave up one run over seven innings and struck out six in the 3-1 win over the White Sox. 

Todd Frazier of the Reds is National League Batter of the Day. Frazier hit two homers and went 3-for-4 in the 6-2 win over the Cardinals. 

Billy Butler of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Butler went 5-for-5 in the 13-inning, 7-6 win over the Mariners. Butler earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for AL Batter of the Day, giving him 9.0 for the season. He has the most Box-Toppers points for the season among all seven of Thursday's Players of the Game and is in 49th place overall.

Peacock receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Gonzalez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Frazier and Butler 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

905	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	6.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brad Peacock (W, 4-5)	7.0	5	2	2	1	9
AL	6.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Miguel Gonzalez (W, 9-7)	7.0	4	1	1	1	6
BAT	3.0	Reds	Todd Frazier 3B	4	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Breslow (W, 5-2)	2.0	0	0	0	1	2
BAT	2.0	Royals	Billy Butler DH	5	1	5	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tony Sipp (H, 2)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	1.1	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jerome Williams (W, 6-10)	6.1	6	2	2	2	7

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

Giants' Sandoval, Red Sox' Ortiz top players for Wednesday, Sept. 4

Pablo Sandoval of the Giants is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Sandoval hit three home runs, drove in six and went 4-for-5 in the 13-5 win over the Padres.

David Ortiz is American League Player of the Day. Ortiz hit two home runs, drove in four and went 3-for-5 in the 20-4 win over the Tigers.

Ortiz rises to 23rd place on the season's Box-Toppers player rankings. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.4 for the season.

Wednesday was a rare occurrence in which batters earned both top player honors over pitchers. 

Notable: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera earned Player of the Game honors for the second straight day. Rivera (1.1IP 0H 0R 1K Sv in 6-5 win vs. White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season. 

Rivera now has 125.4 career Box-Toppers points and is in 26th place overall. However, he trails the all-time leader among closing pitchers, Trevor Hoffman, who earned 129.4 points and is in 21st place overall. Rivera, who has announced he is retiring after this season, would need to double his season total in Box-Toppers points over the next few weeks to catch Hoffman in career Box-Toppers points. 

Ortiz, who was AL Player of the Day Wednesday, has 126.4 career Box-Toppers points and is in 24th place. Box-Toppers record-keeping began in 1995.

Sandoval receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ortiz receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. No pitchers received Box-Toppers bonus points since no pitchers had higher Box-Toppers game scores than the top batters.

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

904	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Giants	Pablo Sandoval 3B	5	3	4	6	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	5.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	5	3	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dillon Gee (W, 11-9)	7.0	4	1	1	1	5
	4.0	Rays	Wil Myers DH	4	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Athletics	Coco Crisp CF	4	2	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Brewers	Aramis Ramirez 3B	3	3	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rockies	Josh Rutledge 2B	4	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Randall Delgado	7.0	4	3	3	0	6
	2.1	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mariano Rivera (S, 41)	1.1	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Cubs	Dioner Navarro C	5	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Indians	Yan Gomes C	4	1	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lucas Luetge (W, 1-2)	2.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rafael Soriano (S, 38)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	5	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Astros	Trevor Crowe LF	5	1	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.

Reds' Bailey, Rays' Hernandez top players for Tuesday, Sept. 3

Reds pitcher Homer Bailey is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Bailey pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits and striking out eight, in the 1-0 win over the Cardinals.

Bailey rises to 23rd place in Box-Toppers player standings for the season. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 12.0 for the season. 

Rays pitcher Roberto Hernandez is American League Player of the Day. Hernandez pitched the final 3 2/3 innings of the game, striking out seven and earning the save in the 7-1 win over the Angels. 

Wilson Ramos of the Nationals is National League Batter of the Day. Ramos hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs in the 9-6 win over the Phillies. 

Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Encarnacion homered and went 3-for-3 in the 10-4 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Notables: Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester rises to 32nd place in Box-Toppers player rankings and Royals closing pitcher Greg Holland rises to 40th place after both earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday.

• Lester (7IP 1R 9K W in 2-1 win vs. Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season.
• Holland (1IP 0H 0R 2K Sv in 4-3 win vs. Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. 

Bailey receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hernandez receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ramos and Encarnacion 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

903	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Homer Bailey (W, 10-10)	7.0	2	0	0	1	8
AL	10.2	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Roberto Hernandez (S, 1)	3.2	0	0	0	0	7
	7.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 12-12)	7.0	7	1	1	0	9
	6.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Lester (W, 13-8)	7.0	8	1	1	0	9
BAT	4.0	Nationals	Wilson Ramos C	2	1	1	4	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ubaldo Jimenez (W, 10-9)	6.0	4	0	0	2	4
	4.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Caleb Thielbar (W, 3-2)	2.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Marlins	Donovan Solano 2B	4	2	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion 1B	3	2	3	1	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Nick Hundley C	2	2	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mariano Rivera (S, 40)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Greg Holland (S, 38)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Pirates	Andrew McCutchen CF	4	3	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Martin Perez (W, 9-3)	7.0	8	1	1	0	5
	1.1	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Withrow (S, 1)	0.1	0	0	0	0	1

Royals' Smith, Phillies' Hamels top players for Monday, Sept. 2

Royals pitcher Will Smith is Monday's Player of the Day. Smith pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in middle relief, striking out eight and giving up only one hit in the 3-1 win over the Mariners.

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels is National League Player of the Day. Hamels struck out eight and gave up only one run and two hits over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Nationals. Hamels exited the game with the score tied 1-1, so was not eligible for the win. 

Andre Ethier of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Ethier homered, drove in three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 10-8 win over the Rockies.

Chris Colabello of the Twins is American League Batter of the Day. Colabello hit two home runs including a ninth-inning, go-ahead grand slam in the 10-6 win over the Astros. 

Notables: Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez earned Player of the Game honors in the 4-3 win over the Cubs, but he won for his performance at the plate rather than the mound. Alvarez went 2-for-2 and hit a three-run homer. 

Also, Freddie Freeman of the Braves rises to 32nd place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Freeman (three-run HR, 5RBI in 13-5 win vs. Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.5 for the season.

Smith receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hamels receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ethier and Colabello 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

902	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.1	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Will Smith (W, 2-1)	4.1	1	0	0	0	8
NL	11.0	`Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cole Hamels	7.0	2	1	1	0	8
	9.1	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Esmil Rogers (W, 4-7)	6.1	1	0	0	1	5
	8.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bud Norris (W, 10-10)	7.0	4	1	1	1	8
BAT	5.0	Dodgers	Andre Ethier CF	4	3	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Twins	Chris Colabello 1B	5	2	2	5	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Angels	Erick Aybar SS	4	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Marlins	Henderson Alvarez P	2	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ian Kennedy (W, 6-9)	6.0	5	1	1	2	7
	3.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	5	1	2	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Doug Fister (W, 12-7)	7.0	4	0	0	4	4
	2.0	Pirates	Jose Tabata LF	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Reds	Zack Cozart SS	3	2	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.2	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Huff (W, 2-0)	5.2	5	1	1	0	3
	1.1	`Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brett Anderson (H, 1)	1.1	1	0	0	1	2

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

Royals' Shields tops players for Sunday, Sept. 1; Dodgers' Greinke rises to 3rd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Royals pitcher James Shields is Sunday's Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Shields pitched seven shutout innings and struck out nine in the 5-0 win over the Blue Jays. 

Greinke, National League Player of the Day, moves to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Greinke gave up one run and two hits over seven innings and struck out seven in the 2-1 win over the Padres. Greinke earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 17.4 for the season.

Michael Cuddyer of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. Cuddyer homered, drove in three runs and went 4-for-4 in the 7-4 win over the Reds. Cuddyer earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 10.0 points for the season, rising to 38th place among players for the season. 

David Ortiz of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Ortiz drove in three runs and went 2-for-3 in the 7-6 win over the White Sox. Ortiz earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 10.7 points for the season, rising to 30th place among players for the season.

Shields receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Greinke receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cuddyer and Ortiz 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

901	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Shields (W, 10-8)	7.0	3	0	0	1	9
	9.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brett Oberholtzer (W, 4-1)	9.0	4	0	0	1	5
NL	8.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke (W, 14-3)	7.0	2	1	1	2	7
	6.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Griffin (W, 12-9)	7.0	5	1	1	1	7
	5.2	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ernesto Frieri (S, 30)	1.2	0	0	0	0	4
	5.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nathan Eovaldi (W, 3-5)	8.0	7	0	0	2	6
	5.0	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Danny Salazar	6.0	6	0	0	0	5
BAT	4.0	Rockies	Michael Cuddyer RF	4	1	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Giants	Hunter Pence RF	4	3	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Kelly (W, 7-3)	6.0	4	1	1	2	5
	3.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kevin Gausman (W, 2-3)	2.0	1	0	0	1	3
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Glen Perkins (S, 32)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rafael Soriano (S, 36)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Arrieta (W, 2-1)	6.2	3	1	1	3	4
BAT	2.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	3	0	2	3	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.

Yankees' Ivan Nova (CG 0R) tops players for Saturday, Aug. 31

Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova is Saturday's Player of the Day. Nova pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout in the 2-0 win over the Orioles.

Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett is National League Player of the Day. Burnett gave up one run over seven innings in the 7-1 win over the Cardinals.

Omar Infante of the Tigers is American League Batter of the Day. Infante hit two home runs and drove in five runs in the 10-5 win over the Indians. 

Brandon Phillips of the Reds is NL Batter of the Day. Phillips homered and went 3-for-5 in the 8-3 win over the Rockies. 

Notables: Saturday's Player of the Game who has the most Box-Toppers points for the season is Dodgers closing pitcher Kenley Jansen (1IP 3K SV in 2-1 win vs. Padres). Jansen earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season and is in 38th place on the season player ranking list.

Nova receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Burnett receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Infante and Phillips 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

831	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ivan Nova (W, 8-4)	9.0	3	0	0	1	5
	8.0	`Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Garza	7.0	3	1	1	3	9
	7.2	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Sonny Gray (W, 2-2)	6.2	5	0	0	1	7
NL	6.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett (W, 7-9)	7.0	4	1	1	1	6
BAT	4.0	Tigers	Omar Infante 2B	5	2	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kenley Jansen (S, 23)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Reds	Brandon Phillips 2B	5	3	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Angels	Hank Conger PH	1	1	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.1	`Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Carter Capps (H, 7)	1.1	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Braves	B.J. Upton CF	6	1	4	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy 2B	5	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Casey Janssen (S, 26)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	1.1	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Josh Collmenter (BS, 1)	1.1	2	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Red Sox	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	5	2	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kevin Gregg (S, 28)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1

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