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.

Pirates' Francisco Liriano tops players for Friday, Aug. 30, rises to fifth in Box-Toppers player rankings

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano is Friday's Player of the Day and rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season.

Liriano pitched eight shutout innings and gave up only two hits in the 5-0 win over the Cardinals. Liriano earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 16.7 for the season.

He rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page).  This is Liriano's career high Box-Toppers point total for a season. His previous high was 15.7 in 2010 with the Minnesota Twins. 

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is American League Player of the Day. Buehrle pitched seven scoreless innings in the 3-2 win over the Royals. 

Todd Helton of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. Helton hit two home runs and drove in six runs in the 9-6 win over the Reds. This is the first time in more than two years that Helton has earned Player of the Game honors—his last time was Aug. 8, 2011. Helton has 116.4 career Box-Toppers points, ranked 32nd among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record-keeping began.

Dustin Ackley of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Ackley went 4-for-5 and drove in four runs in the 7-1 win over the Astros.   

Notables: Braves pitcher Julio Teheran rises to 26th in Box-Toppers player rankings and Robinson Cano of the Yankees rises to 30th after both earned Player of the Game honors Friday:

• Teheran (6.1IP 1R 8K W in 2-1 win vs. Marlins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season.
• Cano (2-3 2RBI 2R in 8-5 win vs. Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.5 for the season. Cano is the sixth batter this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Liriano receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buehrle receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Helton and Ackley 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

830	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Francisco Liriano (W, 15-6)	8.0	2	0	0	2	6
AL	7.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Buehrle (W, 11-7)	7.0	4	0	0	1	5
	5.1	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran (W, 11-7)	6.1	4	1	1	3	8
BAT	5.0	Rockies	Todd Helton 1B	5	2	2	6	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Mariners	Dustin Ackley CF	5	1	4	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	4	2	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.1	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Koji Uehara (S, 15)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Athletics	Kurt Suzuki C	3	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Yankees	Robinson Cano 2B	3	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jered Weaver (W, 9-7)	6.0	3	0	0	3	3
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Glen Perkins (S, 31)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Phillies	Michael Young 3B	5	1	4	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Tigers	Victor Martinez DH	3	1	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			LaTroy Hawkins (S, 6)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	0.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tim Lincecum (W, 8-13)	6.0	6	0	0	2	2

Dodgers' Kershaw holds lead in Box-Toppers player rankings, Tigers' Cabrera becomes top AL player

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

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

Cabrera has 16.9 points to rise from 10th overall last week to fourth this week. He passes Indians pitcher Justin Masterson (16.4 points, now in fifth overall), the previous AL leader.

Masterson still leads in Box-Toppers points among AL pitchers. 

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks  leads among NL batters with 11.7 Box-Toppers points. Goldschmidt is in 25th place among all players. 

Thirty-five players have accumulated 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points so far this season. Only five are batters—Cabrera, Goldschmidt, Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies (11.0), Chris Davis of the Orioles (12.7) and Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees (11.9).

Previous player rankings report from Aug. 22. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work?

Top players

As of Thursday, Aug. 29

	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	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
4	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
5	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
6	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	15.7
7	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	15.4
8	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
9	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
10	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	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	Kuroda, Hiroki 2401	pi sp	nyy al	10.4
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	16.9
2	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	12.7
3	Soriano, Alfonso 1445	lf	nyy al	11.9
4	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	9.5
5	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	9.2
6	Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	tex al	8.4
7	Jones, Adam 2347	cf	bal al	8.0
8	Kipnis, Jason 2933	2b	cle al	8.0
9	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf dh ph	cle al	8.0
10	Carter, Chris 2828	dh lf 1b	hou al	7.9
	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	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
4	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	15.7
5	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	15.0
6	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	14.7
7	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit 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	9.5
4	Venable, Will 2621	rf cf	sd nl	9.0
5	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	8.5
6	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	8.4
7	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	7.5
8	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	7.0
9	Posey, Buster 2745	ca	sf nl	7.0
10	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	6.7

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

Los Angeles Dodgers claim top spot among NL teams in Box-Toppers points, Detroit Tigers still overall leader

The Los Angeles Dodgers have climbed to the top of Box-Toppers rankings among National League teams, passing the St. Louis Cardinals, who were the top NL team for more than four months. 

Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers maintain their perch atop all teams in Box-Toppers power rankings for the fourth straight week. 

Dodgers players have accumulated 99.0 Box-Toppers points, rising from fifth to third place among all teams. They narrowly edge the Cardinals, with 98.9 points, which fall from fourth to fifth place overall. The Cardinals have held the lead in Box-Toppers points among NL teams since April 25.

The Dodgers started the season as a pre-season favorite to win the World Series, but languished in the standings early in the season.  They did not debut in the Box-Toppers list of top 10 teams until July 25 and have steadily climbed in the standings each week.

The Dodgers and the Texas Rangers both have 99.0 Box-Toppers points for the season, but the Dodgers edge out the Rangers because they accumulated more points over the past week (5.0 vs. 4.0). 

The Pittsburgh Pirates were the hottest team of the past week, accumulating 7.5 Box-Toppers points, giving them 91.0 for the season and rising from 12th to ninth place in the rankings. 

Top 10 teams

Through Thursday, Aug. 29

829	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Tigers	105.0	5.7	1
2	Rays	99.4	3.5	2
3	Dodgers	99.0	5.0	5
4	Rangers	99.0	4.0	3
5	Cardinals	98.9	4.5	4
6	Red Sox	98.5	5.0	6
7	Reds	94.2	2.0	7
8	Braves	92.5	5.7	10
9	Pirates	91.0	7.5	12
10	Athletics	89.7	4.5	11

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. 

Nats' Gonzalez, Angels' Vargas top players for Thursday, Aug. 29

Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez is Thursday's Player of the Day. Gonzalez pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 9-0 win over the Marlins. 

Gonzalez rises to 26th 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. 

Angels pitcher Jason Vargas is American League Player of the Day. Vargas pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits and striking out seven in the 2-0 win over the Rays. 

Gonzalez and Vargas had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 9.0, but Gonzalez earned overall Player of the Day honors because he had one more strikeout than Vargas (eight vs. seven). 

Prince Fielder is AL Batter of the Day. Fielder homered, scored three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 7-6 win over the Athletics. 

There is no National League Batter of the Day Thursday because no NL batters earned Player of the Game honors. 

Notable: Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman rises to 24th in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. Tillman (7IP 8K W in 3-2 win vs. Red Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season. 

Gonzalez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Vargas receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Fielder receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

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

829	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gio Gonzalez (W, 8-6)	7.0	3	0	0	3	8
AL	9.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Vargas (W, 8-5)	7.0	2	0	0	3	7
	7.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 11-12)	7.0	6	0	0	0	6
	6.2	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Carlos Torres (W, 3-2)	6.2	4	1	1	0	6
	5.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Tillman (W, 15-4)	7.0	6	2	2	0	8
	5.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yovani Gallardo (W, 10-9)	7.0	6	0	0	1	5
BAT	3.0	Tigers	Prince Fielder 1B	4	3	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Will Smith (H, 2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mariners	Franklin Gutierrez RF	4	1	3	2	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.

Dodgers' Nolasco, White Sox' Sale top players for Wednesday, Aug. 28

Dodgers pitcher Ricky Nolasco is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Nolasco pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 4-0 win over the Cubs.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is American League Player of the Day. Sale struck out 12 over eight innings and gave up only one run in the 6-1 win over the Astros.

Sale moves up to 13th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers point for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 14.4 for the season.

Brandon Moss of the Athletics is AL Batter of the Day. Moss hit two homers, drove in six runs and went 4-for-5 in the 14-4 win over the Tigers. 

Josh Harrison of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Harrison scored three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 7-1 win over the Brewers. 

Notable: Reds pitcher Homer Bailey is in 33rd place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Bailey (7.1IP 0R 7K W in the 10-0 win vs. Cardinals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. 

Nolasco receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Sale receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Moss and Harrison 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

828	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	15.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ricky Nolasco (W, 11-9)	8.0	3	0	0	1	11
AL	12.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Sale (W, 10-12)	8.0	4	1	1	2	12
	12.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jhoulys Chacin (W, 13-7)	7.0	1	1	0	2	9
	8.2	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Danny Duffy (W, 2-0)	6.2	5	0	0	0	7
BAT	8.0	Athletics	Brandon Moss RF	5	3	4	6	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	7.1	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Homer Bailey (W, 9-10)	7.1	5	0	0	2	7
	5.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Archer (W, 8-5)	7.0	5	1	1	0	5
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Josh Harrison 2B	4	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Will Venable CF, RF	4	2	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Stephen Strasburg	2.0	0	0	0	1	2
	2.0	Rangers	Leonys Martin CF, RF	6	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Braves	Jordan Schafer RF	4	1	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Koji Uehara (S, 14)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.2	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Todd Redmond (W, 2-2)	5.2	3	2	2	4	7
	1.0	Phillies	Carlos Ruiz C	4	2	2	1	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.

Red Sox' Shane Victorino (2HR 7RBI) tops players for Tuesday, Aug. 27

Shane Victorino of the Phillies is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Victorino hit two home runs, drove in seven runs, scored four runs and went 3-for-3 in the 13-2 win over the Orioles.

Mets pitcher Jon Niese is National League Player of the Day. Niese pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout in the 5-0 win over the Phillies. 

Aramis Ramirez of the Brewers is NL Batter of the Day. Ramirez homered, drove in four runs and went 4-for-5 in the 7-6 win over the Pirates. 

Notable: Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees rises to 23rd in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after he earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Soriano (2HR 4RBI in 7-1 win vs. Blue Jays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.9 for the season. 

Victorino receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Niese receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ramirez 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

827	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Red Sox	Shane Victorino RF	3	4	3	7	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
NL	10.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Niese (W, 6-6)	9.0	3	0	0	1	5
	6.1	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Josh Collmenter	3.1	1	0	0	0	4
	5.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Travis Wood (W, 8-10)	7.0	5	1	0	2	6
	4.1	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Shields (W, 9-8)	7.1	4	1	1	4	7
	4.1	`Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Downs (H, 3)	1.1	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	4.0	Brewers	Aramis Ramirez 3B	5	1	4	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Yankees	Alfonso Soriano LF	5	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Athletics	Brandon Moss RF	2	2	1	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tanner Scheppers (W, 6-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Angels	Erick Aybar SS	4	0	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ross Ohlendorf (W, 3-0)	5.0	3	1	1	1	3
	2.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Sergio Romo (S, 32)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.1	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Donnie Veal (W, 2-3)	0.1	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Cardinals	Shane Robinson PR, LF	0	1	0	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.

Rockies' Nicasio tops players for Monday, Aug. 26; Dodgers' Greinke rises to 6th in Box-Toppers player rankings

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

Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio is Monday's Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to sixth in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Nicasio pitched six shutout innings and struck out nine in the 6-1 win over the Giants. 

Greinke, who was top player in his game Monday, moves from 10th to sixth place in season player rankings in Box-Toppers points. Greinke (8.2IP 9K W in 6-2 win vs. Cubs) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.7 for the season.

Chris Carter of the Astros is American League Player of the Day. Carter hit two home runs, drove in four runs and went 3-for-4 in the 10-8 win over the White Sox. 

Allen Craig of the Cardinals is National League Batter of the Day. Craig hit a grand slam and went 3-for-4 in the 8-6 win over the Reds. 

Notable:  Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee rises to 30th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Lee (8IP 1R 7K W in 2-1 win vs. Mets) picks up 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.4 for the season.

Nicasio receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Carter receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Craig receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

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

826	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Juan Nicasio (W, 8-6)	6.0	4	0	0	2	9
	7.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 11-6)	8.0	5	1	1	1	7
	6.2	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke (W, 13-3)	8.2	5	2	2	2	9
AL	6.0	Astros	Chris Carter DH	4	3	3	4	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Royals	Billy Butler DH	3	3	3	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon McCarthy (W, 3-8)	7.0	5	1	0	0	5
BAT	4.0	Cardinals	Allen Craig RF	4	1	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.1	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aaron Loup (H, 7)	1.1	1	0	0	0	3
	1.0	Athletics	Coco Crisp CF	6	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rangers	Alex Rios RF	4	1	2	2	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.

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, a top player Sunday, Aug. 25, leads AL players in Box-Toppers points

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

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers becomes the top American League player in Box-Toppers points for the season (and the fourth-ranked overall) after earning AL Batter of the Day honors Sunday.

Cabrera earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for the honor, giving him 16.9 for the season. He passes previous AL leader, Indians pitcher Justin Masterson (16.4 points) and moves from sixth to fourth place overall.

In addition, 16.9 points is already a career high for Cabrera. His previous career high was 16.5 scored in 2009 with the Tigers. In 2007, he scored 15.0 with the Marlins. Last year, in which he led the AL in home runs, runs batted in and batting average, he scored 11.7.

Cabrera is the only batter who has consistently been ranked among the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points this season. He led all players several times during the season, as late as June 29. 

Cabrera has 115.7 caeer Box-Toppers points, which puts him at 32nd among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record-keeping began.

Cabrera homered and went 3-for-4 in the 11-3 win over the Mets Sunday to earn AL Batter of the Day.

In other developments: 

Brewers pitcher Marco Estrada is Sunday's Player of the Day. Estrada pitched seven shutout innings, gave up only one hit and struck out nine in the 3-1 win over the Reds.

Angels pitcher Jered Weaver is AL Player of the Day. Weaver struck out eight over eight innings in the 7-1 win over the Mariners. 

John Mayberry of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Mayberry hit a two-run homer in the 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Estrada receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Weaver receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Cabrera and Mayberry 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

825	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Marco Estrada (W, 6-4)	7.0	1	0	0	2	9
AL	11.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jered Weaver (W, 8-7)	8.0	3	1	1	0	8
	11.0	`Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andrew Cashner	7.0	2	0	0	1	7
	10.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ryan Vogelsong (W, 3-4)	8.0	2	0	0	1	5
	8.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Peavy (W, 10-5)	9.0	3	1	1	1	5
	4.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Buehrle (W, 10-7)	8.0	7	1	1	2	7
	4.0	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Kazmir	6.0	7	1	1	1	8
BAT	3.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 3B	4	2	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Orioles	J.J. Hardy SS	4	3	3	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Royals	Salvador Perez C	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Phillies	John Mayberry RF	3	2	1	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	White Sox	Josh Phegley C	2	2	1	1	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.1	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Kimbrel (S, 41)	1.1	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Yankees	Robinson Cano 2B	5	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rex Brothers (S, 13)	1.0	0	0	0	2	2

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

Marlins' Fernandez, Tigers' Scherzer, top players for Saturday, Aug. 24, both rise into top 5 of Box-Toppers player rankings

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

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, Saturday's Player of the Day, rises to second in Box-Toppers player rankings, while Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, American League Player of the Day, rises to fifth. 

Fernandez pitched seven shutout innings, striking out eight, in the 3-0 win over the Rockies. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 18.0 for the season, rising from fourth to second in Box-Toppers season player standings. He trails overall leader, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (18.7 points), by only 0.7.

Scherzer pitched six shutout innings, striking out 11, in the 3-0 win over the Mets. Scherzer earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 15.4 for the season, rising to fifth place on Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. 

Jason Castro of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Castro hit two homers, drove in three runs and went 3-for-3 in the 8-5 win over the Blue Jays. 

Darwin Barney of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. Barney homered, drove in two runs and went 3-for-4 in the 3-2 win over the Padres.

Notables: Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller rises to 14th in Box-Toppers player rankings and Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann rises to 20th after both earned Player of the Game honors Saturday:

• Miller (7IP 1R 6K W in the 6-2 win vs. the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.4 for the season.
• Zimmermann (7.2IP 7K W in the 7-2 win vs. the Royals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.7 for the season. 

Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Scherzer receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Castro and Barney 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

824	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Fernandez (W, 10-5)	7.0	4	0	0	0	8
AL	10.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 19-1)	6.0	3	0	0	4	11
	8.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shelby Miller (W, 12-8)	7.0	3	1	1	0	6
BAT	6.0	Astros	Jason Castro C	3	3	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.1	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Lester (W, 12-7)	7.1	3	1	1	4	6
	4.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aroldis Chapman (S, 33)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Cubs	Darwin Barney 2B	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Indians	Jason Kipnis 2B	3	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jarrod Parker (W, 10-6)	8.0	5	1	1	3	5
	3.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Trevor Cahill (W, 5-10)	4.0	2	0	0	1	2
	2.0	Rays	Evan Longoria 3B	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nate Jones (W, 4-4)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.2	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Zimmermann (W, 15-7)	7.2	8	2	2	1	7
	1.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Sergio Romo (S, 31)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1
	0.1	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Vargas (W, 7-5)	6.1	8	1	1	1	5

Dodgers' Nolasco tops players for Friday, Aug. 23, Tigers' Cabrera rises to 5th in Box-Toppers rankings

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Friday, Aug. 23:

Dodgers pitcher Ricky Nolasco is Friday's Player of the Day, while Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Nolasco pitched eight scoreless innings and gave up only two hits in the 2-0 win over the Red Sox. 

Cabrera, who was top player in his game Friday, moves from 10th to fifth place in season player rankings in Box-Toppers points. Cabrera (HR 3RBI 2-4 in the 6-1 win vs. the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.4 for the season. He continues to lead in Box-Toppers points among all American League batters.

Angels pitcher Garrett Richards is AL Player of the Day. Richards pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the 2-0 win over the Mariners. 

Khris Davis of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Davis hit a pair of two-run homers in the 6-4 win over the Reds. 

Jose Lobaton of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Lobaton homered, drove in four runs and went 2-for-3 in the 7-2 win over the Yankees. 

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Wainwright (CG 1R 9K W in 3-1 win vs. the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.7 for the season.

Nolasco receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Richards receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Davis and Lobaton 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

823	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ricky Nolasco (W, 10-9)	8.0	2	0	0	0	6
	10.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Wainwright (W, 15-7)	9.0	6	1	1	0	9
	6.1	`Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tim Stauffer	4.1	1	0	0	1	4
AL	5.1	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Garrett Richards (W, 4-5)	7.1	4	0	0	2	4
BAT	5.0	Brewers	Khris Davis LF	3	2	2	4	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.2	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tanner Roark (W, 4-0)	4.2	1	0	0	1	2
BAT	4.0	Rays	Jose Lobaton C	3	1	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Astros	Robbie Grossman LF	4	1	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Orioles	Brian Roberts 2B	3	1	1	4	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	Adam Rosales DH	2	1	1	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Samuel Deduno (W, 8-7)	6.0	3	1	1	4	6
	3.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rex Brothers (S, 12)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 3B	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Pirates	Clint Barmes SS	4	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Phillies	Cody Asche PH	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.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw takes Box-Toppers points lead, Masterson, Cabrera, Goldschmidt among leaders

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers weekly player standings as of Thursday, Aug. 22:

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw takes over the top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Kershaw has 18.7 Box-Toppers points as of Thursday, Aug. 22, taking over the lead from Indians pitcher Justin Masterson (16.4 points), who has fallen to third place behind Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin (17.4).

Masterson continues to lead American League players in Box-Toppers points.

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers remains the leader among American League batters with 14.4 Box-Toppers points. However, Cabrera fell from ninth to 10th place overall this week.

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks  leads among NL batters with 11.7 Box-Toppers points. Goldschmidt is in 23rd place among all players. 

Thirty-two players have accumulated 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points so far this season. Only five are batters—Cabrera, Goldschmidt, Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies (11.0), Chris Davis of the Orioles (12.7) and Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees (10.9).

Previous player rankings report from Aug. 15. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work?

Top players

As of Thursday, Aug. 22

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
2	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
3	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
4	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	16.0
5	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
6	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
7	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	15.0
8	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	14.7
9	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	14.7
10	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	14.4
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	16.4
2	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	15.1
3	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	15.0
4	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	14.4
5	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	13.7
6	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	13.1
7	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	12.7
8	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	12.4
9	Tillman, Chris 2754	pi sp	bal al	10.7
10	Kuroda, Hiroki 2401	pi sp	nyy al	10.4
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	14.4
2	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	12.7
3	Soriano, Alfonso 1445	lf	nyy al	10.9
4	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	9.2
5	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	8.5
6	Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	tex al	8.4
7	Jones, Adam 2347	cf	bal al	8.0
8	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf dh ph	cle al	8.0
9	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	7.5
10	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	7.2
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	18.7
2	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	17.4
3	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	16.0
4	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	15.0
5	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	14.7
6	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	14.7
7	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	13.7
8	Latos, Mat 2644	pi sp	cin nl	13.4
9	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl 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	9.5
4	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	8.5
5	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	8.4
6	Venable, Will 2621	rf cf	sd nl	8.0
7	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	7.5
8	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	7.0
9	Posey, Buster 2745	ca	sf nl	7.0
10	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	6.7

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

Detroit Tigers remain top Box-Toppers team, Tampa Bay Rays jump in rankings

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers weekly team standings as of Thursday, Aug. 22:

The Detroit Tigers continue to hold the top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings for the third week in a row, while the Tampa Bay Rays make a big jump to second place.

Tigers players have accumulated 99.3 Box-Toppers points this season, the most of any team.

The Rays were the hottest team of the week, picking up 10.2 Box-Toppers points giving them 95.9 for the season and moving them from seventh to second place overall. The Rays picked up some of their points by acquiring players. They got 3.0 Box-Toppers points by signing free agent Delmon Young (who earned his points with the Phillies) and 2.5 points by claiming David DeJesus off waivers from the Nationals. (DeJesus earned his points earlier in the season with the Cubs.)

Last week's hot team, the Texas Rangers, fell to third place with 95.0 Box-Toppers points. 

The St. Louis Cardinals, in fourth overall, remain the top National League team in Box-Toppers points with 94.4. But the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to inch closer—with 94.0 points, they trail by only 0.4.

The Cincinnati Reds are the hottest National League team for the second straight week, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points, giving them 92.2 points. However, the Reds still fall in the overall rankings from sixth to seventh place.

Top 10 teams

Through Thursday, Aug. 22

822	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Tigers	99.3	3.7	1
2	Rays	95.9	10.2	7
3	Rangers	95.0	4.5	2
4	Cardinals	94.4	5.0	4
5	Dodgers	94.0	6.0	5
6	Red Sox	93.5	3.0	3
7	Reds	92.2	6.5	6
8	Orioles	88.0	3.5	8
9	Indians	87.2	5.4	10
10	Braves	86.8	4.0	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. 

Reds' Latos tops players for Thursday, Aug. 22, Dodgers' Kershaw scores to stay atop Box-Toppers player rankings

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Thursday, Aug. 22:

Reds pitcher Mat Latos is Thursday's Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw strengthens his hold atop Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Latos gave up one run and struck out six over eight innings in the 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks.  Latos rises to 14th place in Box-Toppers players season standings. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.4 for the season.

Kershaw, who was top player in his game Thursday, maintains his position atop season player rankings in Box-Toppers points. Kershaw (8IP 0R 6K W in the 6-0 win vs. the Marlins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 18.7 for the season.

White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana is American League Player of the Day. Quintana struck out seven over seven innings in the 4-3, 12-inning win over the Royals.  Quintana left the game with the score tied 3-3, so was not eligible for the win.

Jose Tabata of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Tabata drove in three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 10-5 win over the Giants. 

Eduardo Nunez of the Yankees is AL Batter of the Day. Nunez drove in two runs and went 1-for-2 in the 5-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Latos receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Quintana receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Tabata and Nunez 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

822	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	7.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mat Latos (W, 13-4)	8.0	5	1	1	0	6
	6.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw (W, 13-7)	8.0	5	0	0	3	6
BAT	4.0	Pirates	Jose Tabata LF	4	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	3.0	`White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Quintana	7.0	4	3	3	1	7
	3.0	`Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zach Miner	2.0	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	2.0	Yankees	Eduardo Nunez SS	2	1	1	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Stammen (W, 7-5)	2.0	0	0	0	1	1
	1.0	Twins	Chris Herrmann C	5	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Cardinals	Matt Holliday LF	3	1	2	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.

Padres' Kennedy tops players for Wednesday, Aug. 21, Dodgers' Greinke rises to 8th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Wednesday, Aug. 21:

Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy is Wednesday's Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers points among players this season. 

Kennedy pitched seven shutout innings, striking out eight, in the 2-1 win over the Pirates. 

Greinke rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player standings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Greinke (8IP 1R 7K W in the 4-1 win vs. the Marlins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.7 for the season. 

Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez is American League Player of the Day. Sanchez struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings in the 7-1 win over the Twins. Sanchez left the game with the Tigers trailing 1-0, so was not eligible for the win. Sanchez rises to 11th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 14.4 for the season.

Shin-Soo Choo of the Reds is National League Batter of the Day. Choo homered, drove in three runs and went 4-for-5 in the 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Dayan Viciedo of the White Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Viciedo hit a grand slam and went 3-for-4 in the 5-2 win over the Royals. 

Kennedy receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Sanchez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Choo and Viciedo 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

821	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ian Kennedy (W, 5-9)	7.0	4	0	0	3	8
	7.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke (W, 12-3)	8.0	6	1	1	0	7
	6.0	`Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Walden	2.0	0	0	0	0	4
BAT	5.0	Reds	Shin-Soo Choo CF	5	3	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	4.2	`Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Anibal Sanchez	6.2	6	1	1	2	8
BAT	4.0	White Sox	Dayan Viciedo LF	4	1	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Nationals	Scott Hairston PH	1	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Danny Farquhar (S, 9)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Felix Doubront (W, 9-6)	8.0	5	1	1	1	3
	3.0	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cody Allen (H, 7)	1.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Diekman (W, 1-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Rangers	Craig Gentry LF	3	3	1	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Huff (W, 1-0)	5.0	1	0	0	4	2
	1.0	Cardinals	Carlos Beltran RF	5	2	2	2	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Orioles	Adam Jones CF	4	1	2	2	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.

D-Backs' Corbin, top player for Tuesday, Aug. 20, rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Tuesday, Aug. 20:

Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin, Tuesday's Player of the Day, rises to second place in Box-Toppers points among players for the season. 

Corbin pitched a complete game, striking out 10 and giving up only two runs in the 5-2 win over the Reds. Corbin earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 17.4 for the season, moving from fourth to second in Box-Toppers player season rankings. 

Indians pitcher Danny Salazar is American League Player of the Day. Salazar struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings in the 4-1, 14-inning win over the Angels. Salazar left the game with the Indians trailing 1-0 and so was not eligible for the win. 

Robinson Cano of the Yankees is AL Batter of the Day. Cano drove in four runs and went 4-for-4 in the 8-4 win over the Blue Jays. 

Sean Halton of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Halton went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs in the 6-3 win over the Cardinals. This was Halton's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,263rd player to debut since Box-Toppers record-keeping began in 1995.

Corbin receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Salazar receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cano and Halton 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

820	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Patrick Corbin (W, 13-3)	9.0	6	2	2	0	10
	7.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett (W, 6-8)	7.0	4	1	1	1	7
AL	5.1	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Danny Salazar	5.1	3	1	1	2	7
BAT	5.0	Yankees	Robinson Cano 2B	4	1	4	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Haren (W, 8-11)	6.0	5	1	1	0	6
	4.0	Twins	Justin Morneau 1B	5	1	4	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rays	Matt Joyce LF	2	2	1	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Nathan (S, 37)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Mariners	Nick Franklin 2B	4	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Brewers	Sean Halton 1B	3	1	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Danks (W, 3-10)	8.0	7	0	0	1	2
	2.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rafael Betancourt (S, 16)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kenley Jansen (S, 20)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			LaTroy Hawkins (S, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Giants	Roger Kieschnick LF	4	2	3	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Yankees	Jayson Nix 3B	4	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.