Giants' Chris Heston tops players for Tuesday, May 12, is among 3 to rise in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings

Giants pitcher Chris Heston is Tuesday’s Player of the Day and is one of three players to rise in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings for the season.

Heston rises to seventh place Tuesday, while Rays pitcher Chris Archer rises to second place and Eric Hosmer of the Royals rises to fifth.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of May 12.  

	Player	Pos	Team	BTP
1	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	8.7
2	Archer, Chris 3194	pi sp	tb al	6.0
3	Cole, Gerrit 3232	pi sp	pit nl	6.0
4	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	atl nl	5.0
5	Hosmer, Eric 2886	1b	kc al	5.0
6	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf rf	dc nl	5.0
7	Heston, Chris 3437	pi sp	sf nl	5.0
8	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	4.7
9	Keuchel, Dallas 3050	pi sp	hou al	4.7
10	Gray, Sonny 3259	pi sp	oak al	4.7

What are those numbers after players' names?

Player of the Day—Heston pitched a complete game, allowing one run, two hits and striking out 10, in the 8-1 win over the Astros. Heston earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 for the season, putting him in seventh in Box-Toppers player rankings, third among National League pitchers.

American League Player of the Day—White Sox pitcher Chris Sale struck out 11 over eight innings, allowing two runs, in the 4-2 win over the Brewers.

National League Batter of the Day—Andre Ethier of the Dodgers homered, went 5-for-5 and drove in three runs, in the 11-1 win over the Marlins.

American League Batter of the Day—Josh Reddick of the Athletics homered, went 4-for-5, scored twice and drove in three runs, in the 9-2 win over the Red Sox.

Rankings—In addition to Heston, two other players rose in Box-Toppers player rankings top 10 for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday:

• Rays pitcher Chris Archer rose to second place. Archer (7IP 2R 8K ND in the 4-2 win over the Yankees) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 6.0 for the season.
• Eric Hosmer of the Royals rose to fifth place. Hosmer (HR 2-3 2R 2BI in the 7-6 win over the Rangers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 5.0 for the season. He takes the lead among AL batters, passing previous leader Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (4.7 Box-Toppers points).

Scoring—Heston earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Sale earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Ethier and Reddick each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Tuesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

5/12	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	15.0	Giants	Chris Heston (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	2	1	1	0	10
AL	11.0	White Sox	Chris Sale (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	2	2	1	11
	11.0	Cubs	Jake Arrieta (W, 4-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	1	2	10
	7.0	Cardinals	Lance Lynn (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	4	9
	4.2	`Tigers	Alfredo Simon	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	6	1	1	1	6
BAT	4.0	Dodgers	Andre Ethier RF	5	1	5	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	4.0	Athletics	Josh Reddick RF	5	2	4	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Mariners	Mike Zunino C	4	2	3	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion 1B	4	3	2	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Angels	C.J. Wilson (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	2	2	1	6
	3.0	Dbacks	Mark Trumbo RF	5	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	3	2	2	2	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Pirates	Josh Harrison 3B	3	2	1	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	`Rays	Chris Archer	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	2	2	1	8
	1.0	Reds	Todd Frazier 3B	3	1	1	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
		`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Dodgers' Grandal (2 3R HRs) tops players for Thursday, May 7; A-Rod hits 661st HR, rises to 9th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Yasmani Grandal of the Dodgers is Thursday’s Player of the Day.

Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees earned Player of the Game honors as he hit his 661st career home run, passing Willie Mays’ mark of 660. Rodriguez also moved up to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of May 7.  

	Player	Pos	Team	BTP
1	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	7.7
2	Cole, Gerrit 3232	pi sp	pit nl	6.0
3	Archer, Chris 3194	pi sp	tb al	5.0
4	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	4.7
5	Keuchel, Dallas 3050	pi sp	hou al	4.7
6	Gray, Sonny 3259	pi sp	oak al	4.7
7	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	4.7
8	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	4.5
9	Rodriguez, Alex	dh	nyy al	4.5
10	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	4.4

What are those numbers after players' names?

Player of the Day—Grandal hit two three-run homers and drove in eight runs, going 4-for-4 and scoring three times, in the 14-4 win over the Brewers.

American League Player of the Day—Tigers pitcher Joakim Soria struck out four over the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing no runs or hits and earning the save, in the 4-1 win over the White Sox.

American League Batter of the Day—Eric Hosmer of the Royals hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-4 with two runs in the 7-4 win over the Indians.

National League Batter of the Day—There is no separate NL Batter of the Day for Thursday since the overall Player of the Day (Yasmani Grandal of the Dodgers) was a batter from the NL.

Rankings—Alex Rodriguez rises to ninth in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game in the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Orioles (HR 2-3 R 2BI). Rodriguez earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.5 for the season. Rodriguez already has more Box-Toppers points this season than he did in 2013 (3.0) and as many as he had in all of 2012 (4.5). In 2011, he had 4.7 points and in 2010, he had 13.7, the last time he had 10.0 or more in a season.

In the game, Rodriguez moved to fourth place on the all-time home run list with his 661st home run, passing Willie Mays (660). Rodriguez now has 183.8 career Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth among all players since record keeping began in 1995 and first among all batters during that time.

Notables—Two players had notable Box-Toppers achievements Thursday:

• Dan Haren of the Marlins became the second pitcher this season to earn Player of the Game honors for batting. Haren (2B 2-3 2R 2BI in the 7-2 win over the Giants) also pitched seven innings and picked up the win. It is the third time in his career he has earned Player of the Game honors for batting—he last did it June 14, 2014. Haren earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 2.0 for the season and 110.2 for his career. With the point, he rises to 49th among all players since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995, passing Jeff Kent (109.7) on that list.
• Cardinals pitcher John Lackey becomes the 66th player to earn 100 or more Box-Toppers points after he earned Player of the Game honors Thursday (7.2IP R 10K W in the 5-1 win over the Cubs). Lackey earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 100.8 for his career. He moves to 62nd place among all players (since record keeping began in 1995) and passes four players on that list—Aramis Ramirez (100.8), Paul Konerko (100.7), Jeff Bagwell (100.4) and Larry Walker (100.1). Lackey’s career 100.8 Box-Toppers points ranks 13th among active pitchers currently in the NL.

Debut—Rangers pitcher Alex Claudio made his Box-Toppers debut Thursday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Claudio (1.1IP 0R 0H 2K W in the 5-4 win over the Rays) made his Major League debut Aug. 13, 2014, and was playing in his 21st career game. He is the 3,459th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Scoring—Grandal earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Soria earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Hosmer earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day. All of Thursday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

5/7	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Dodgers	Yasmani Grandal C	4	3	4	8	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	9.2	Cardinals	John Lackey (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	5	1	1	1	10
	9.0	Dbacks	Rubby De La Rosa (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	7
AL	5.1	Tigers	Joakim Soria (S, 11)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	4
	4.1	`Astros	Collin McHugh	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	5	2	2	1	7
	3.1	Rangers	Alex Claudio (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	2	2	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Marlins	Dan Haren P	3	2	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.1	Twins	Glen Perkins (S, 10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Pirates	Andrew McCutchen CF	4	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Yankees	Alex Rodriguez DH	3	1	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
		`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Braves' Miller tops players for Tuesday, May 5; Pujols earns Box-Toppers points for 15th straight season

Braves pitcher Shelby Miller is Tuesday’s Player of the Day.

Miller pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out eight, in the 9-0 win over the Phillies.

American League Player of the Day—Rangers pitcher Wandy Rodriguez struck out eight over eight innings, allowing one run on three hits, in the 7-1 win over the Astros.

American League Batter of the Day—Eric Hosmer of the Royals hit a three-run homer, a triple and drove in four runs, in the 5-3 win over the Indians.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of May 5.  

	Player	Pos	Team	BTP
1	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	7.7
2	Cole, Gerrit 3232	pi sp	pit nl	6.0
3	Archer, Chris 3194	pi sp	tb al	5.0
4	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	4.7
5	Keuchel, Dallas 3050	pi sp	hou al	4.7
6	Gray, Sonny 3259	pi sp	oak al	4.7
7	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	4.7
8	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	4.5
9	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	4.4
10	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	4.0

What are those numbers after players' names?

National League Batter of the Day—Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals hit a game-tying three-run homer and drove in four total runs, in the 7-4 win over the Cubs.

Streak—Albert Pujols of the Angels has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 15 straight seasons. He was Player of the Game Tuesday in the 5-4 win over the Mariners (HR 2-3 2R 2BI) and earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, his first of the season.

Pujols earned his first Box-Toppers points in 2001 with the Cardinals. He led all NL batters in Box-Toppers points in five different seasons, the most times a batter has led his league in Box-Toppers points (since record keeping began in 1995). Here are the seasons he led NL batters, all with the Cardinals:

• 2003—16.5 Box-Toppers points
• 2004—15.9
• 2008—15.2
• 2009—16.7 (his best overall season)
• 2010—15.4

In 2014, Pujols had 7.5 Box-Toppers points with the Angels, fourth among AL designated hitters.

Pujols has 168.3 career Box-Toppers points, seventh among all players since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995. He trails Roy Halladay (170.7) for sixth place. Pujols ranks second among all batters on that list (behind only Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees with 182.8).

Notables—Two other players with more than 100 career Box-Toppers points also earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday:

• Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon now has 136.4 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 21st among all players since 1995 (trailing Andy Pettitte with 138.5). Colon ranks 15th among pitchers on that list and second among active pitchers currently in the NL (behind Tim Hudson of the Giants with 153.0).

Colon was Player of the Game Tuesday in the Mets 3-2 win over the Orioles (7.2IP R 9K W) and earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 3.0 for the season.

• Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke now has 129.7 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 27th among all players since 1995. With Tuesday’s point, he passes Trevor Hoffman (129.4) on that list. Greinke ranks 18th among pitchers on that list and is fifth among active pitchers currently in the NL.

Greinke was Player of the Game Tuesday in the Dodgers 8-2 win over the Brewers (7.2IP 2H R 7K W) and earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season, putting him in 11th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season.

Scoring—Miller earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Rodriguez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Hosmer and Carpenter each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

5/5	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Braves	Shelby Miller (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	8
AL	10.0	Rangers	Wandy Rodriguez (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	1	1	8
	9.2	Dodgers	Zack Greinke (W, 5-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	2	1	0	2	7
	8.2	Mets	Bartolo Colon (W, 5-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	6	1	1	0	9
	8.1	Athletics	Jesse Chavez (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	1	0	1	7
	8.0	Yankees	Michael Pineda (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	1	6
	6.0	Giants	Ryan Vogelsong (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	4
	5.0	Red Sox	Rick Porcello (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	8	0	0	0	6
	3.1	Marlins	Mat Latos (W, 1-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	2	1	1	5	6
BAT	3.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	1	2	4	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Angels	Albert Pujols 1B	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Cardinals	Matt Carpenter 3B	3	1	1	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Reds	Marlon Byrd LF	5	1	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	White Sox	Jeff Samardzija (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	2	2	1	7

Giants' Petit, Royals' Vargas top players for Wednesday, Oct. 15; Royals advance to World Series

Yusmeiro Petit shut down the Cardinals in innings four, five and six, winning Game 4 of the National League Championship Series for the Giants and earning Box-Toppers Player of the Day honors for Wednesday.

Petit pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out four in the Giants’ 6-4 win over the Cardinals. The Giants take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series.

Petit, who entered the game with the Giants trailing 4-3, picked up the win after the Giants took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning. He had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Giants player of 5.0.

During the regular season, Petit, normally a starter, had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 247th among all players, 78th among NL pitchers.

ALCS Game 4, Royals win series over Orioles, 4-0 

The Kansas City Royals are returning to the World Series for the first time in 29 years. Jason Vargas, who started and won the game Wednesday to secure the AL pennant for the Royals, is Box-Toppers.com Player of the Game.

Vargas gave up one run over 5 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out six in the 2-1 win over the Orioles. He was top player in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series which the Royals won four games to zero.

Vargas had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Royals player of 4.1.

During the regular season, Vargas had 7.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 107th among all players, 38th among AL pitchers.

The Royals are 10th in Box-Toppers team rankings with 101.1 Box-Toppers points. They sweep the Orioles, ranked sixth with 113.4 Box-Toppers points.

The Royals have also won eight straight consecutive postseason games and a different player has earned Player of the Game honors in each of the wins:

• Sept. 30, AL Wild Card Game: Eric Hosmer

• Oct. 2, AL Division Series Game 1: Greg Holland

• Oct. 3, ALDS Game 2: Yordano Ventura

• Oct. 5, ALDS Game 3: Norichika Aoki

• Oct. 10, AL Championship Series Game 1: Wade Davis

• Oct. 11, ALCS Game 2: Lorenzo Cain

• Oct. 14, ALCS Game 3: Kelvin Herrera

• Oct. 15, ALCS Game 4: Jason Vargas

The Royals await the winner of the NL pennant in the World Series. Game 1 is Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Kansas City.

Coming Thursday:

NLCS Game 5: Giants lead Cardinals, 3-1

In Box-Toppers player rankings top 10 list, only two players remain active in the postseason—Adam Wainwright and Madison Bumgarner. They face each other again Thursday. In their previous match-up in Game 1 of the NLCS on Oct. 11, the Giants won the game and Bumgarner was Box-Toppers Player of the Day:

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright, 18.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among all players, fourth among NL pitchers.

Giants: Madison Bumgarner, 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked 3rd overall, 2nd among NL pitchers.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1014	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	5.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	1	0	0	1	4
POG	4.1	Royals	Jason Vargas (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	2	1	1	3	6

Royals' Eric Hosmer tops players in AL Wild Card win over Athletics, Tuesday, Sept. 30

Eric Hosmer of the Royals, who tripled in the bottom of the 12th inning, then scored the run to tie the American League Wild Card Playoff Game, is Tuesday’s Player of the Day.

Hosmer went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in a run, in the 9-8, 12-inning win over the Athletics. He had the Royals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +2.

During the regular season, Hosmer earned 2.5 Box-Toppers points, ranking 368th among all players and 83rd among AL batters.

The Royals now advance to face the Angels in the best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Los Angeles.

The Royals are tenth in Box-Toppers team rankings, the lowest-rated AL playoff team, with 101.1 Box-Toppers points. They eliminate the Athletics, the third-ranked team with 117.6 Box-Toppers points. The Athletics had led all teams in Box-Toppers points much of the season but slumped toward the end of the season and were the final team to qualify for a playoff spot, winning the AL’s second wild card spot on Sunday, the final game of the season.

The Royals will face the Angels, the overall top team in Box-Toppers team rankings, with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. However, in the final 10 days of the season, the Angels earned the fewest Box-Toppers points of any AL team, 3.0.

Coming Wednesday: The National League Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh, with the Giants facing the Pirates. Here is the pitching match-up:

Giants: Madison Bumgarner, 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked 3rd overall, 2nd among NL pitchers.

Pirates: Edinson Volquez, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 87th overall, 40th among NL pitchers.

The Giants are ranked eighth in Box-Toppers team rankings with 110.8 Box-Toppers points. The Pirates are ranked 11th—the lowest of any playoff team—with 99.9. However, in the final 10 days of the season, the Pirates were one of the NL’s hottest teams, picking up 6.7 Box-Toppers points and rising from 16th to 11th in team rankings. The Giants, during the same period, picked up 4.5 points and fell from seventh to eighth.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player in AL Wild Card Game

Eric Hosmer of the Royals was Player of the Game (POG) in the 9-8 win over the Athletics

930	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	2.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	2	3	1	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Marlins' Tom Koehler (8IP 0R ND) tops players for Wednesday, May 7

Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Koehler pitched eight shutout innings in the 1-0 win over the Mets. Koehler did not pick up the win, earning the no-decision, because he left the game in a scoreless tie.

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is American League Player of the Day. Buehrle pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out six in the 10-0 win over the Phillies.

Eric Hosmer of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Hosmer went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs in the 8-0 win over the Padres.

DJ LeMahieu of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. LeMahieu went 3-for-3 with a triple in the 9-2 win over the Rangers.

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to second place in Box-Toppers player standings and now leads NL pitchers after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Wainwright (8IP 1R 6K W in the 7-1 win vs. the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 7.0 for the season. He passes previous NL pitching leader Jose Fernandez of the Marlins (7.0). (Both Wainwright and Fernandez have 7.0 Box-Toppers points for 2014, but Wainwright wins the tie-breaker because he has more total points over 2013-14—27.2 vs. 26.0.)

Koehler receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buehrle receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hosmer and LeMahieu 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.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

507	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	`Marlins	Tom Koehler	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	0	0	1	5
AL	8.0	Blue Jays	Mark Buehrle (W, 6-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	6
	8.0	Athletics	Drew Pomeranz (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	0	5
	5.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 6-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	6	1	1	1	6
	4.1	`Tigers	Joba Chamberlain (H, 6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	4.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	1	3	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Red Sox	Koji Uehara (S, 8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.1	Dbacks	Bronson Arroyo (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	5	1	0	2	4
BAT	3.0	Rockies	DJ LeMahieu 2B	3	2	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	White Sox	Paul Konerko DH	3	1	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Nationals	Rafael Soriano (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	`Mariners	Danny Farquhar	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	1	2
	2.1	Yankees	Vidal Nuno (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	1	1	1	3
	2.0	Orioles	Adam Jones CF	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Pirates	Travis Snider RF	3	1	2	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Indians	Mike Aviles 2B	4	1	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

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

Top players for Friday, April 5

​Zack Greinke, making his Dodgers debut, was Friday's Player of the Day. Greinke struck out six over 6 1/3 innings in a 3-0 win over the Pirates.

Rays pitcher Matt Moore, who struck out eight over six innings in the 4-0 over the Indians, was American League Player of the Day.

Eric Hosmer of the Royals was American League Batter of the Day. Hosmer went 4-for-5 with three RBIs in the 13-4 win over the Phillies.​

Greinke receives two Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Moore receives 1.7 for ​AL Player of the Day. Hosmer receives 1.5 points for AL Batter of the Day. There was no NL Batter of the Day because no NL batters were named Player of the Game in Friday's 15 games.

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

405	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.1	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke (W, 1-0)	6.1	2	0	0	0	6
AL	10.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Moore (W, 1-0)	6.0	2	0	0	2	8
	9.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Drew Smyly (S, 1)	4.0	0	0	0	0	5
	8.2	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Straily (W, 1-0)	6.2	5	2	2	0	11
	7.1	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Minor (W, 1-0)	7.1	5	1	1	0	7
	7.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Homer Bailey (W, 1-0)	6.0	2	0	0	3	6
	6.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wade Miley (W, 1-0)	6.0	5	1	1	1	8
	5.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Barry Zito (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	0	0	3	4
BAT	4.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	5	2	4	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Mariners	Franklin Gutierrez CF	5	3	3	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Orioles	Chris Davis 1B	4	1	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Francis (W, 1-0)	6.0	5	1	1	1	5
	2.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tanner Scheppers (W, 1-0)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Marlins	Placido Polanco 3B	5	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes PH, DH	0	1	0	0	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0