Mariners' Walker tops players for Monday, Sept. 14; Dodgers' Kershaw regains Box-Toppers points lead for 3rd time in September

Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to eighth place among American League pitchers in Box-Toppers points.

Also Monday, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw regained the Box-Toppers season points lead, marking the fifth lead change this month between him and Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, a race for the lead coming down to the wire in the season’s final weeks.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of Sept. 14.  

	Player	Pos	Team	BTP
1	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	22.7
2	Arrieta, Jake 2738	pi sp	chi nl	22.1
3	deGrom, Jacob 3343	pi sp	nym nl	20.4
4	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	19.7
5	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	19.4
6	Keuchel, Dallas 3050	pi sp	hou al	19.4
7	Price, David 2593	pi sp	tor al	19.1
8	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	17.1
9	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	17.0
10	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	dc nl	17.0

What are those numbers after players' names?

Player of the Day—Walker struck out seven over seven innings, allowing one run and four hits, in the 10-1 win over the Angels.

Walker earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks 16th among all players and eighth among AL pitchers.

National League Player of the Day—Padres pitcher James Shields allowed one run over seven innings, striking out six and giving up four hits, in the 10-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

National League Batter of the Day—Jayson Werth of the Nationals hit two home runs and went 2-for-6, driving in five runs, in the 8-7 win over the Phillies.

American League Batter of the Day—Prince Fielder of the Rangers hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-4, scoring three times and driving in two runs, in the 5-3 win over the Astros.

Fielder earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 10.0 for the season. He becomes the 36th player (and sixth batter) this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 36th among all players and fourth among AL batters.

Rankings—Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw regained the Box-Toppers season player rankings lead for the third time this month after earning Player of the Game honors Monday.

Lead changes

Here are the season’s lead changes among players in Box-Toppers points. Chart shows the date and the player’s Box-Toppers point (BTP) total when they took the lead.  

Date	Player	Team	BTP
4/5	Adam Wainwright	stl nl	2.0
4/6	Felix Hernandez	sea al	2.0
4/13	Scott Kazmir	oak al	3.7
4/18	Felix Hernandez	sea al	4.0
6/26	Max Scherzer	dc nl	14.0
7/9	Felix Hernandez	sea al	14.4
7/12	Max Scherzer	dc nl	15.0
7/24	Felix Hernandez	sea al	15.4
7/26	Jacob deGrom	nym nl	16.4
9/2	Clayton Kershaw	lad nl	20.7
9/5	Jake Arrieta	chi nl	21.1
9/8	Clayton Kershaw	lad nl	21.7
9/11	Jake Arrieta	chi nl	22.1
9/14	Clayton Kershaw	lad nl	22.7

Kershaw (7IP 3H R 5K W in the 4-1 win over the Rockies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 22.7 for the season. Kershaw passes Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta (22.1 Box-Toppers points) for the lead. Kershaw previously took the lead on Sept. 2 and Sept. 8, only holding it for three days each time when Arrieta passed him. Arrieta is slated to start Wednesday and could regain the lead.

Kershaw also rises to 13th place among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. Kershaw now has 156.3 career Box-Toppers points and passes two players on the “all-time” list—Mike Mussina (155.6) and Tim Hudson (156.0). (Mussina, who pitched for four seasons before Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995, would likely have about 190 Box-Toppers points if his entire career were tracked, based on rough projections.) Kershaw trails 12th-place player John Smoltz (160.9). Passing Hudson, Kershaw rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers points among active players and third among active pitchers, behind CC Sabathia (179.0) and Felix Hernandez (162.7).

Kershaw also had a Box-Toppers game score Monday of 5.0, the same as NL Player of the Day James Shields of the Padres. But Shields won the tiebreaker because he had more strikeouts—six vs. five.

Notable—Two others who earned Player of the Game honors Monday achieved notable milestones:

• Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia extended his lead in career Box-Toppers points among active pitchers. Sabathia (6.2IP 3H 0R 6K ND in the 4-1 win over the Rays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 179.0 for his career. Sabathia ranks fifth among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. He ranks second among all active players, behind Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees (187.0). Sabathia has 5.7 Box-Toppers points this season.
• Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco rose to 16th place in Box-Toppers player rankings, seventh among AL pitchers. Carrasco (6IP 5H R 9K W in the 8-3 win over the Royals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.0 for the season.

Debut—White Sox pitcher Dan Jennings made his Box-Toppers debut Monday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Jennings (2IP 0H 0R 3K W in the 8-7 win over the Athletics) made his Major League debut April 30, 2012, and was playing in his 160th career game. He is the 3,591st player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Scoring—Walker earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Shields earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Werth and Fielder each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Monday’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

9/14	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	8.0	Mariners	Taijuan Walker (W,11-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	7
	7.2	`Yankees	CC Sabathia	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	3	0	0	2	6
	7.0	`Orioles	Kevin Gausman	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	2	0	0	4	7
	6.0	Indians	Carlos Carrasco (W,13-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	1	1	2	9
NL	5.0	Padres	James Shields (W,12-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	2	6
	5.0	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw (W,14-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	2	5
	5.0	White Sox	Dan Jennings (W,2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Nationals	Jayson Werth, LF	6	2	2	5	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Rangers	Prince Fielder, DH	4	3	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.1	Twins	Tyler Duffey (W,3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	7	1	1	2	7
	2.1	Giants	George Kontos (MR) (W,3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Mets	Hansel Robles (MR) (W,4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	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.

Royals' Ventura tops players for Tuesday, May 19; Giants' Hudson earns Box-Toppers points for 17th straight season

Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura is Tuesday’s Player of the Day.

Also Tuesday, Colby Rasmus of the Astros rose to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season, taking the lead among American League batters and Giants pitcher Tim Hudson earned a Box-Toppers point for the 17th straight season, tying him for the longest current consecutive streak.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of May 19.  

	Player	Pos	Team	BTP
1	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	8.7
2	Archer, Chris 3194	pi sp	tb al	7.0
3	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	atl nl	7.0
4	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	6.7
5	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf rf	dc nl	6.5
6	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	dc nl	6.0
7	Cole, Gerrit 3232	pi sp	pit nl	6.0
8	Harang, Aaron 1599	pi sp	phi nl	5.1
9	Hamels, Cole 2135	pi sp	phi nl	5.0
10	Rasmus, Colby 2608	lf rf cf	hou al	5.0

What are those numbers after players' names?

Player of the Day—Ventura pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out six, in the 3-0 win over the Reds.

National League Player of the Day—Padres pitcher James Shields struck out 11 over seven innings, allowing two runs, in the 4-3 win over the Cubs. Shields did not pick up the win in the game because he exited with the score tied 2-2.

National League Batter of the Day—A.J. Pollock of the Diamondbacks hit a pinch-hit, two-run, go-ahead home run in the 4-2 win over the Marlins.

American League Batter of the Day—Jimmy Paredes of the Orioles homered and went 2-for-5, driving in four runs, in the 9-4 win over the Mariners.

Rankings—Colby Rasmus of the Astros rose to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season, taking the lead among AL batters, after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday.

Rasmus (HR 2B 2-4 2R 2BI in the 6-4 win over the Athletics) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 5.0 for the season. Rasmus has the same 2015 Box-Toppers point total as Eric Hosmer of the Royals, but wins the tie-breaker because he had more points in 2014—3.2 vs. 2.5.

Streak—Giants pitcher Tim Hudson has now earned Box-Toppers points for 17 straight seasons, tied for the longest currently active streak. Hudson was Player of the Game Tuesday in the 2-0 win over the Dodgers (6.1IP 0R W) and earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, his first of the season.

In addition, with his point Tuesday, Hudson now has 154.0 for his career and rises to 13th place among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. Hudson passes Barry Bonds (153.2) on that list, though it should be noted Bonds played nine seasons before Box-Toppers record keeping began and so would likely have many more career Box-Toppers points.

Hudson’s 17-season streak of earning at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point ties him with Torii Hunter of the Twins for the longest active streak. (Hunter has 3.5 Box-Toppers points this season.) The record for most consecutive seasons with at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point is 19, held by Jason Giambi (1995-2013). (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995.) One other active player had Box-Toppers points in 16 straight seasons as of 2014 and also has a chance to extend that to 17 straight seasons in 2015—Carlos Beltran of the Yankees.

Hudson earned his first Box-Toppers points in 1999 with the Athletics. His best year was 2001 with the Athletics, when he had 18.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among AL pitchers. In 2014, he had 8.7 Box-Toppers points with the Giants.

His 154.0 career Box-Toppers points ranks him 13th among all players since 1995, just behind Mike Mussina (155.6). His career total ranks 10th among all pitchers since 1995 and first among active pitchers currently in the NL, ahead of Bartolo Colon of the Mets (136.4).

Debuts—Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Tuesday, the first time in their career they earned Player of the Game honors:

• Randal Grichuk of the Cardinals (3B 2-2B 3-5 R 3BI in the 10-2 win over the Mets) made his Major League debut April 28, 2014, and was playing in his 57th career game. He is the 3,474th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
• Clint Robinson of the Nationals (PH 2B 1-1 R BI in the 8-6 win over the Yankees) made his Major League debut June 8, 2012, and was playing in his 40th career game. He is the 3,475th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Scoring—Ventura earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Shields earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Pollock and Paredes 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

5/19	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.0	Royals	Yordano Ventura (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	6
NL	7.0	`Padres	James Shields	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	2	2	1	11
	5.1	Indians	Trevor Bauer (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	1	1	3	7
	4.0	Brewers	Jimmy Nelson (W, 2-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	1	4	5
BAT	3.0	Dbacks	A.J. Pollock PH, CF	1	1	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.2	`Twins	Blaine Boyer (H, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Cardinals	Randal Grichuk RF	5	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	2.0	Orioles	Jimmy Paredes DH	5	1	2	4	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Astros	Colby Rasmus CF, LF	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Nationals	Clint Robinson PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Red Sox	Wade Miley (W, 3-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	2	2	1	7
	2.0	Angels	Hector Santiago (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	1	3	5
	2.0	Rays	Brad Boxberger (S, 11)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.1	Giants	Tim Hudson (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	5	0	0	2	2
	1.0	Rockies	Nick Hundley C	4	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.

Giants' Hunter Pence tops players in World Series Game 4, Saturday, Oct. 25

Hunter Pence had three hits, three RBIs and two runs, earning Box-Toppers Player of the Day honors Saturday, as the Giants evened the World Series with the Royals at two games apiece.

Pence went 3-for-5 in Game 4 in which the Giants defeated the Royals 11-4. Pence had a Box-Toppers game score of +3, highest of any Giants player.

During the regular season, Pence had 2.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 367th among all players, 82nd among National League batters and 35th among NL outfielders. This is the first time this postseason Pence has earned Player of the Game honors.

Coming Sunday:

World Series Game 5: Royals at Giants, series tied 2-2

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 22nd among all players, 11th among AL pitchers.

Giants: Madison Bumgarner, 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked third among all players, second among NL pitchers.

This is a rematch of Game 1 starting pitchers, won by the Giants, 7-1. Bumgarner was Player of the Game. Bumgarner has been Player of the Game three times this postseason, more than any other player. The other two times: NL Wild Card Game and NL Championship Series Game 1.

Shields has not earned Player of the Game honors this postseason.

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.

Previous Box-Toppers 2014 World Series previews:

Giants have clear Box-Toppers advantage over Royals in World Series, but since 2014 is underdog year, watch out for David slaying 'Giant'

Royals sweep Giants in series—in regular season, interleague series back in August, that is

Can a Royals diehard fan of the 1970s rekindle lapsed fandom with Kansas City's 2014 World Series team? A personal essay

Top 7 players in World Series Game 4 

Here are the top seven Giants players in Saturday’s World Series Game 4, ranked from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score (how game score is calculated). Hunter Pence, who had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0, is Player of the Game (POG). Yusmeiro Petit, who pitched the fourth through sixth innings and earned the win, also had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0. But under Box-Toppers rules, batters beat pitchers in cases of game score ties.

1025	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	3.0	Giants	Hunter Pence RF	5	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	2	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Giants	Joe Panik 2B	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Giants	Matt Duffy PH	1	1	1	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Giants	Michael Morse PH	0	1	0	0	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Giants	Sergio Romo	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Giants	Hunter Strickland	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	1

Royals sweep Giants in series—in regular season, interleague series back in August, that is

On Friday, Aug. 8, two teams that seemed destined to meet in the World Series began a regular season interleague series.

Yes, the Baltimore Orioles faced the St. Louis Cardinals. The Orioles, up five games in the American League East and the Cardinals, a game out in the National League Central.

 Incidentally, two other teams faced each other in another interleague series beginning that night. But these were two ragtag teams struggling to hold on to their Wild Card spots, both in second place in their division. Few people were likely touting this as a possible World Series preview, few even could find intrigue in matching up two teams from different leagues with no trace of geographical or historical rivalry of any kind.

But it was on the schedule, so the San Francisco Giants traveled to Kansas City to face the Royals in a three-game series. A little more than two months later, these two unlikely teams have made their way to the World Series to face each other again.

The Royals swept the three-game series in August. Here is a series recap with Box-Toppers Players of the Game for each game:

Friday, Aug. 8: Royals 4, Giants 2

Player of the Game: Billy Butler of the Royals hit a home run and went 2-for-3, driving in three runs. Butler earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game and finished the season with 2.5 Box-Toppers points. 

Madison Bumgarner was starting pitcher for the Giants and picked up the loss. He pitched a complete game (eight innings) and allowed seven hits and four runs, striking out five. Bumgarner finished the season with 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked third among all players, second among NL pitchers.

Complete Box-Toppers results for Aug. 8.

Saturday, Aug. 9: Royals 5, Giants 0

Player of the Game: Royals pitcher James Shields pitched a complete game shutout, allowing four hits and striking out five. Shields earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game and finished the season with 13.7 Box-Toppers points.

Giants pitcher Tim Hudson (6IP 6H 3R K) picked up the loss.

Complete Box-Toppers results for Aug. 9.

Sunday, Aug. 10: Royals 7, Giants 4

Player of the Game: Norichika Aoki of the Royals went 2-for-2, scoring twice and driving in a run. Aoki earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game and finished the season with 2.0 Box-Toppers points. Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum (3.1IP 7H 6R 2K) picked up the loss.

Complete Box-Toppers results for Aug. 10.

That same weekend, as mentioned previously, the Orioles and the Cardinals met—two teams that seemed more likely to go to the World Series, but two teams that would both go on to lose their league championship series. For what it’s worth, the Orioles took two out of three in that series.

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

Here are the Players of the Game from each of the three games played between the Giants and Royals in August. The Royals swept the series, 3-0.

Date	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
8/8	3.0	Royals	Billy Butler 1B	3	1	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
8/9	9.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 11-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	1	5
8/10	3.0	Royals	Norichika Aoki RF	2	2	2	1	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Previously: Box-Toppers World Series preview: Giants have clear Box-Toppers advantage over Royals in World Series, but since 2014 is underdog year, watch out for David slaying 'Giant'

ALCS Preview: Royals may have edge not because their pitching is strong, but because Orioles' pitching is weak

The Kansas City Royals may have an edge over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series not because their pitching is so strong but because the Orioles pitching staff is comparatively weaker.

However, the Orioles have the overall higher Box-Toppers team ranking and have two outfielders on Box-Toppers end-of-season 2014 All-Star team. The best-of-seven game ALCS begins Friday in Baltimore.

Below are position-by-position match-ups of each player likely in the starting line-up for both teams, along with the highest-rated starting pitchers in Box-Toppers points, the top closing pitcher and an extra pitcher. Also listed are each player’s Box-Toppers points earned in 2014, along with their overall rank among all players.

The top pitcher for both teams, James Shields of the Royals, had 13.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 22nd among all players. The Orioles top pitcher is Bud Norris, with 10.7, ranked 51st among all players. Only three other teams in baseball had their top pitcher earn fewer Box-Toppers points than Norris:

• Padres, Ross Tyson, 9.7.

• Red Sox, Koji Uehara, 9.0.

• Rockies, Tyler Matzek, 4.7.

In fact, the Orioles are one of only two teams in baseball whose leader in Box-Toppers points was a batter—Adam Jones, with 11.5 points, ranked 40th among all players. (The other team was the Rockies—Troy Tulowitzki had 11.6 points.)

Matching up the four top starting pitchers from highest to lowest Box-Toppers points from both teams, the Royals have the edge each time (see the chart below). The Royals also have the edge in closers (Greg Holland with 7.0 over Zachary Britton with 6.0). The Royals also have the edge when matching up the next-highest rated pitcher (Jeremy Guthrie, 7.0 over Ubaldo Jimenez, 3.7). And one more thing, not included in the chart below—the Royals also have the AL’s top middle relief pitcher, Wade Davis, who has 7.0 Box-Toppers points.

The Orioles have the edge in overall Box-Toppers team rankings from 2014. They rank sixth among all teams with 113.4 Box-Toppers points, while the Royals are ranked 10th with 101.1 points—the Royals were the lowest ranked team that qualified for any of the four league division series. However, the Orioles will play the ALCS without suspended first baseman, Chris Davis, who earned 6.2 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.

The Orioles also have two players who will be on Box-Toppers end-of-season AL All-Star team. Adam Jones had the most Box-Toppers points among AL outfielders with 11.5. Nelson Cruz was second with 8.5. The Orioles also have the most notable batter (not included in the prospective starting line-up below) coming off the bench—Delmon Young with 5.5 Box-Toppers points.

However, looking at the prospective starting line-ups below, Royals batters have higher Box-Toppers point totals at five positions, while the Orioles are better in four. Also, adding up Box-Toppers points for the nine batters and six pitchers listed below, the Royals have the point total advantage—83.1 Box-Toppers points vs. 81.5.

Both teams were able to get a lot of bang for their buck this season, spending comparatively little and making it all the way to the ALCS. The Orioles had an opening day payroll of $107 million, ranking 15th among all teams. The Royals’ payroll of $92 million, ranked 19th.

ALCS Game 1, Royals at Orioles

The pitching matchup Friday:

Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 22nd among all players, 11th among AL pitchers.

Orioles: Chris Tillman, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 152nd among all players, 53rd among AL 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.

AL Championship Series player comparisons

Likely starting players for the Royals and Orioles listed by position with their Box-Toppers point total (BTP) for the 2014 regular season and their overall player rank among all players

Pos	Royals	BTP	Rank		Orioles	BTP	Rank
1B	Eric Hosmer	2.5	368		Steve Pearce	7.0	121
2B	Omar Infante	4.0	243		Jonathan Schoop	2.5	395
SS	Alicides Escboar	5.0	190		J.J. Hardy	4.2	236
3B	Mike Moustakas	4.0	251		Ryan Flaherty	0	761
CA	Salvador Perez	4.7	210		Caleb Joseph	2.0	470
CF	Lorenzo Cain	2.0	421		Adam Jones	11.5	40
LF	Alex Gordon	3.0	203		Alejandro De Aza	1.0	537
RF	Norichika Aoki	2.0	443		Nick Markakis	3.0	320
DH	Billy Butler	2.5	365		Nelson Cruz	8.5	77
SP	James Shields	13.7	22		Bud Norris	10.7	51
SP	Danny Duffy	10.0	58		Miguel Gonzalez	8.7	70
SP	Yordano Ventura	8.7	75		Wei-Yin Chen	6.7	131
SP	Jason Vargas	7.0	107		Chris Tillman	6.0	152
CP	Greg Holland	7.0	106		Zachary Britton	6.0	161
PI	Jeremy Guthrie	7.0	113		Ubaldo Jimenez	3.7	270

Dodgers' Greinke, Giants' Petit top players in tight NLDS games Saturday, Oct. 4

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, who pitched seven scoreless innings in the National League Division Series Game 2 win over the Cardinals, is Saturday’s Player of the Day.

Greinke also allowed only two hits and two walks and struck out seven in the 3-2 win. He did not earn a win in the game—though he exited the mound with a 2-0 lead, the Cardinals tied the game in the eighth before the Dodgers went ahead in the bottom of the ninth.

Greinke had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Dodgers player of +10.

During the regular season, Greinke had 16.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among all players, sixth among NL pitchers.

The Dodgers have tied the best-of-five game series with the Cardinals, 1-1. Game 3 is Monday in St. Louis.

NLDS Game 2: Giants 2, Nationals 1

Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, pitching six innings of extra-inning relief is Player of the Game in a marathon 18-inning National League Division Series Game 2.

Petit, who took the ball in the bottom of the 12th inning, allowed no runs, one hit, three walks, struck out seven and earned the win in the 2-1 win that was finally decided on Brandon Belt’s home run in the top of the 18th.

Petit had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Giants player of +9. 

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

The Giants now lead the best-of-five game series with the Nationals, 2-0. Game 3 is Monday in San Francisco.

Coming Sunday:

ALDS Game 3, Orioles lead Tigers, 2-0

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Orioles: Bud Norris, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 51st among all players, 23rd among AL pitchers.

Tigers: David Price, 19.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all players, fourth among AL pitchers.

ALDS Game 3, Royals lead Angels, 2-0

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Angels: C.J. Wilson, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 127th among all players, 48th among AL pitchers.

Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 22nd among all players, 11th among AL 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

1004	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	10.0	`Dodgers	Zack Greinke	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	7
POG	9.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	1	0	0	3	7

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

Athletics' Jon Lester faces Royals' James Shields in AL Wild Card Game

The Oakland Athletics visit the Kansas City Royals Tuesday in the American League one-game Wild Card playoff game.

Starting pitchers are:

Athletics: Jon Lester, 16.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked sixth among AL pitchers, 12th overall.

Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among AL pitchers, 22nd overall.

While the Royals have one more win on the season than the Athletics (89 vs. 88), the Athletics have a wide lead in team Box-Toppers points—117.6 vs. 101.1. The Athletics rank third overall and second among AL teams while the Royals rank 10th overall, sixth among AL teams.

The Athletics led Box-Toppers team rankings much of the season and were bolstered by mid-season trades that brought in Lester from the Red Sox and Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs. However, the Athletics slumped after those trades, fell out of Box-Toppers team rankings top spot and were in danger of not making the postseason. In fact, the Athletics were the final team to qualify for a postseason spot with their win Sunday.

The winner of Tuesday’s AL Wild Card game will face the Los Angeles Angels in the best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Los Angeles. The Angels are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers rankings with 124.2 Box-Toppers points.

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.

Royals' James Shields tops players for Wednesday, Sept. 10, rises to 16th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Royals pitcher James Shields is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Shields pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight, in the 3-0 win over the Tigers.

Shields earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks 16th among all players and 10th among American League pitchers.

Braves pitcher Aaron Harang is National League Player of the Day. Harang struck out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 6-2 win over the Nationals.

Brian McCann of the Yankees is AL Batter of the Day. McCann homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 8-5 win over the Rays.

Matt Clark of the Brewers is NL Batter of the Day. Clark homered and went 1-for-2, driving in two runs, in the 4-1 win over the Marlins. This was Clark’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,411th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. He made his Major League debut Sept. 2 and was playing in his sixth game.

Notable: Blue Jays pitcher Drew Hutchison rises to 13th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Day honors Wednesday. Hutchison (6.1IP R 10K W in the 11-1 win over the Cubs) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.0 for the season. He ranks eighth among AL pitchers.

Shields receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Harang receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. McCann and Clark 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

910	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 14-7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	1	8
	9.1	Blue Jays	Drew Hutchison (W, 10-11)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	1	1	1	10
NL	9.0	Braves	Aaron Harang (W, 11-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	1	0	0	9
	7.0	Dodgers	Dan Haren (W, 13-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	1	5
	6.0	Orioles	Wei-Yin Chen (W, 15-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	0	4
	5.1	Mets	Rafael Montero (W, 1-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	3	0	0	4	7
BAT	4.0	Yankees	Brian McCann C	3	2	2	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	`Astros	Darin Downs (H, 10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	1	2
	3.0	Reds	Aroldis Chapman (S, 32)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	`Giants	Ryan Vogelsong	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	2	0	0	5	3
BAT	2.0	Brewers	Matt Clark 1B	2	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Angels	Efren Navarro PH	1	0	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`White Sox	Chris Bassitt	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	1	1	2	5
	2.0	Pirates	Mark Melancon (S, 28)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Tigers	J.D. Martinez LF	3	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Royals' James Shields, Rockies' Tyler Matzek top players for Friday, Sept. 5

Royals pitcher James Shields is Friday’s Player of the Day. Shields pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Yankees.

Shields earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.7 for the season. He ranks 24th among all players and 15th among American League pitchers. He becomes the 43rd player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. In 2013, 54 players had 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Rockies pitcher Tyler Matzek is National League Player of the Day. Matzek pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out six, in the 3-0 win over the Padres.

Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Ozuna hit two doubles and went 4-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-3 win over the Braves.

Kendrys Morales of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Morales homered twice, driving in four runs, in the 7-5 win over the Rangers.

Notable: Rays pitcher Alex Cobb rose to 25th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Cobb (7IP 0R 6K ND in the 3-0 win over the Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season. He ranks 16th among AL pitchers.

Shields receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Matzek receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ozuna and Morales 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.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

905	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.1	Royals	James Shields (W, 13-7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.1	3	0	0	0	6
NL	11.0	Rockies	Tyler Matzek (W, 5-9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	6
	6.0	`Rays	Alex Cobb	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	0	0	1	6
	6.0	Astros	Tony Sipp (S, 3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	4
BAT	5.0	Marlins	Marcell Ozuna CF	5	2	4	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Mets	Travis d`Arnaud C	4	2	3	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Indians	T.J. House	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	1	1	0	7
	5.0	Dodgers	Dan Haren (W, 12-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	1	6
BAT	4.0	Mariners	Kendrys Morales DH	4	2	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Angels	Kole Calhoun RF	6	4	3	2	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Phillies	Ben Revere CF	5	1	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Brewers	Scooter Gennett 2B	4	1	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Red Sox	Mookie Betts CF	4	3	2	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Giants	Gregor Blanco LF	4	2	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Royals' James Shields (7IP 0R 10K) tops players for Monday, July 7

Royals pitcher James Shields is Monday’s Player of the Day. Shields pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 10 in the 6-0 win over the Rays.

Shields had a Box-Toppers game score of 13.0, the same as Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma (Player of the Game in the 2-0 win over the Twins), but Shields won overall Player of the Day on a tie-breaker—Shields allowed fewer hits than Iwakuma, three vs. four.

Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy is National League Player of the Day. Kennedy struck out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 6-1 win over the Rockies.

Jonathan Singleton of the Astros is American League Batter of the Day. Singleton homered, doubled and went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs in the 12-7 win over the Rangers. This was Singleton’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,376th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. He made his Major League debut June 3 and was playing in his 32nd game.

Billy Hamilton of the Reds is NL Batter of the Day. Hamilton tripled and went 2-for-4, driving in four runs, in the 9-3 win over the Cubs.

Shields receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kennedy receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Singleton and Hamiton 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.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Monday, click here.

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

707	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 9-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	1	10
	13.0	Mariners	Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 7-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	10
	9.0	Athletics	Jesse Chavez (W, 7-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	2	9
	8.2	White Sox	Scott Carroll (W, 3-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	1	0	0	2	5
NL	8.0	Padres	Ian Kennedy (W, 7-9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	2	9
BAT	5.0	Astros	Jonathan Singleton 1B	4	2	3	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Orioles	Manny Machado 3B	6	2	5	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Reds	Billy Hamilton CF	4	1	2	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Dbacks	David Peralta LF	4	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Phillies	Chase Utley 2B	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Mets	Carlos Torres (W, 4-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Yankees	Dellin Betances (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Cardinals	Pat Neshek (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Angels	Chris Iannetta C	4	2	3	0	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

Cardinals' Wainwright tops players for Thursday, April 17; Twins' Colabello takes Box-Toppers points lead

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is Thursday’s Player of the Day, while Chris Colabello of the Twins takes the lead in Box-Toppers season player standings.

Wainwright pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out eight, in the 8-0 win over the Nationals. He earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, rising to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Colabello rose from second to first place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season after earning Player of the Game honors in the Twins 9-5 win over the Blue Jays. Colabello (3-4 3RBI) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.2 this season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Royals pitcher James Shields is American League Player of the Day. Shields allowed one run over eight innings and struck out 12 in the 5-1 win over the Astros. Shields and Wainwright were tied with Box-Toppers game scores of 12.0, but Wainwright was given the nod as Player of the Day because he had more innings pitched (nine vs. eight).

Mitch Moreland of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Moreland went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs in the 8-6 win over the Mariners.

Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Alvarez hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 11-2 win over the Brewers.

Notable: Hyun-Jin Ryu rose to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season after earning Player of the Game honors. Ryu (7IP 0R W in the 2-1 win over the Giants) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Wainwright receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Shields receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Moreland and Alvarez 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.

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

417	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	2	0	0	3	8
AL	12.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	1	1	2	12
	8.0	Red Sox	Jon Lester (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	1	1	0	9
	7.0	Twins	Kyle Gibson (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	0	0	1	4
	7.0	`Phillies	A.J. Burnett	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	5
	5.0	Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	1	3
BAT	4.0	Rangers	Mitch Moreland DH	3	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Rockies	Franklin Morales (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	1	5
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	3	1	2	3	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Yankees	Brian Roberts 2B	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Tigers	Ian Kinsler 2B	5	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Twins	Chris Colabello 1B	4	0	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Dodgers' Kershaw secures 2013 Box-Toppers Player of the Season crown; Braves' Medlen tops players for Friday, Sept. 27

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw secured his spot as Box-Toppers 2013 Player of the Season Friday, while Braves pitcher Kris Medlen was Player of the Day.

Kershaw, who earned Player of the Game honors in Friday's 11-0 win against the Rockies, now has 21.7 Box-Toppers points. He has been atop Box-Toppers player rankings since Sept. 21 and with only two games left in the season, it is wildly unlikely any other player can catch him (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). 

Kershaw now leads the second-place player, teammate Zack Greinke (19.4), by 2.3 Box-Toppers points, so even if Greinke earns Player of the Day honors in his final start Saturday against the Rockies, he can only earn 2.0 Box-Toppers points and would have 21.4—not enough to catch Kershaw.

This is the second time Kershaw has earned Box-Toppers Player of the Season honors. He was also top player in 2011, when he had 26.1 Box-Toppers points.  He was top National League player in Box-Toppers points in 2012 with 20.8.

Kershaw (6IP 0R 8K W in win vs. Rockies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, putting him at 21.7 for the season.

Medlen, Friday's top player, pitched eight shutout innings, gave up only two hits and struck out seven in the 1-0 win over the Phillies. Medlen earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season, putting him in 42nd place in Box-Toppers player rankings. 

Royals pitcher James Shields is American League Player of the Day. Shields struck out 10 over seven innings in the 6-1 win over the White Sox. 

Jayson Werth of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Werth hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-2 with two walks in the 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Jonny Gomes of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Gomes homered and went 3-for-4 in the 12-3 win over the Orioles. 

Notables: Three other players who earned Player of the Game honors Friday are among the top 50 in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season: 

• Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn rises to 11th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6IP 0R 9K W in 7-0 win vs. Cubs), giving him 16.1 for the season.
• Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon rises to 25th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (6IP 8K W in 8-2 win vs. Mariners), giving him 13.1 for the season.
• Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett rises to 49th place. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game (8IP 1R 6K W in 4-1 win vs. Reds), giving him 10.4 for the season.

 Coming Saturday: Two pitchers in Box-Toppers player rankings top 10 are scheduled to start Saturday:

• Zack Greinke of Dodgers is scheduled to start against the Rockies. Greinke is ranked second in player rankings with 19.4 Box-Toppers points. 
• Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals is scheduled to start against the Cubs. Wainwright is ranked third in player rankings with 19.2 Box-Toppers points.

Medlen receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Shields receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Werth and Gomes 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

927	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 15-12)	8.0	2	0	0	2	7
	11.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn (W, 15-10)	6.0	4	0	0	0	9
AL	10.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			James Shields (W, 13-9)	7.0	4	1	1	1	10
	10.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw (W, 16-9)	6.0	4	0	0	0	8
	6.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett (W, 10-11)	8.0	5	1	1	1	6
	6.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bartolo Colon (W, 18-6)	6.0	3	2	2	1	8
	6.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Warren (W, 3-2)	5.0	2	0	0	1	4
BAT	5.0	Nationals	Jayson Werth RF	2	2	2	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Giants	Juan Perez CF	4	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes LF	4	3	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Indians	Drew Stubbs CF	4	3	2	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Neal Cotts (W, 7-3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Blue Jays	Moises Sierra RF	3	1	2	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jim Henderson (S, 28)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	`Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chad Qualls (H, 15)	1.0	0	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.

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.