Giants' Madison Bumgarner tops players in NL Wild Card Game win over Mets

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Wednesday’s National League Wild Card game.

Bumgarner pitched a complete-game, four-hit shutout, striking out six and walking two, in the 3-0 win over the Mets.

Bumgarner had a Box-Toppers game score of +9.0. Third baseman Conor Gillaspie who hit the ninth-inning, three-run homer that put the Giants ahead, had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0 (HR 2-4 R 3BI).

Bumgarner had 13.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 19th among all players and 12th among NL pitchers. Over the past two seasons, Bumgarner has 30.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among NL pitchers. Gillaspie had 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.

The Giants, 10th-ranked in Box-Toppers team rankings (112.7), beat the Mets, ranked sixth (119.1). The Giants are the lowest-ranked team to qualify for the postseason but among the 10 teams in the playoffs, they were hottest down the stretch—in the season’s final 10 games, they picked up 8.7 Box-Toppers points.

The Giants will face the Cubs in the best-of-five NL Divisional Series beginning Friday in Chicago. The Cubs have baseball’s best record and highest accumulated Box-Toppers point total of 139.5.

Top player from NL Wild Card Game

BTG	Game	Player of Game	AB	R	H	BI		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
9.0	SF 3, NYM 0	Madison Bumgarner (W,1-0)	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	2	6
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Thursday: The American League begins both division playoff series:

AL Division Series, Game 1: Blue Jays at Rangers

The Blue Jays rank 10th in Box-Toppers team rankings (114.0 Box-Toppers points) while the Rangers rank fifth (122.5). In the final 10 days of the season, the Rangers picked up 7.5 Box-Toppers points while the Blue Jays picked up 6.0.

The pitching matchup Thursday:

Blue Jays—Marco Estrada, 11.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 37th among all players, 15th among AL pitchers.

Rangers—Cole Hamels, 17.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked sixth among all players, second among AL pitchers.

The Blue Jays have three players who are among the top 10 in their Box-Toppers category:

• J.A. Happ, 14.7 Box-Toppers points, ranks third among AL pitchers.
• Catcher Russell Martin, 10.5 Box-Toppers points, ranks sixth among AL batters.
• Third baseman Josh Donaldson, 9.7 Box-Toppers poitns, ranks seventh among AL batters.

The Rangers also have three players who are among the top 10 in their Box-Toppers category:

• Hamels, 17.8 Box-Toppers points, second among AL pitchers, sixth among all players.
• Third baseman Adrian Beltre, 9.5 Box-Toppers points, eighth among AL batters.
• Shortstop Elvis Andrus, 9.2 Box-Toppers points, 10th among AL batters.

Blue Jays vs. Rangers

Here are players for both teams in the AL Divisional Series beginning Thursday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2016. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters.  

Toronto Blue Jays				Texas Rangers
Player	Pos	BTP		Player	Pos	BTP
Happ, J.A. 2536	pi sp	14.7		Hamels, Cole 2135	pi sp	17.8
Estrada, Marco 2847	pi sp	11.0		Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	10.4
Sanchez, Aaron 3392	pi sp	10.7		Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	9.5
Martin, Russell 2202	ca	10.5		Andrus, Elvis 2582	ss	9.2
Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	9.7		Lewis, Colby 1567	pi sp	7.7
Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	8.0		Mazara, Nomar 3614	rf lf	7.0
Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	dh 1b	8.0		Odor, Rougned 3336	2b	6.5
Dickey, R.A. 1734	pi sp	7.0		Beltran, Carlos 1194	dh rf	6.0
Stroman, Marcus 3327	pi sp	6.7		Lucroy, Jonathan 2744	ca	5.7
Saunders, Michael 2768	lf	5.2		Griffin, A.J. 3074	pi sp	5.7
Smoak, Justin 2731	1b	3.5		Gomez, Carlos 2397	lf	4.5
Osuna, Roberto 3512	pi cp	3.0		Holland, Derek 2634	pi sp	4.0
Upton, Melvin 1922	lf cf	2.5		Desmond, Ian 2673	cf lf	4.0
Pillar, Kevin 3486	cf	2.0		Moreland, Mitch 2799	1b	3.5
Biagini, Joe 3646	pi mr	2.0		Harrell, Lucas 2988	pi sp	3.0
Goins, Ryan 3478	2b	1.5		Rua, Ryan 3631	1b lf	3.0
Bautista, Jose 2169	rf	1.0		DeShields, Delino 3557	cf lf	2.0
Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	1.0		Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	2.0
Bolsinger, Mike 3318	pi sp	1.0		Barnette, Tony 3670	pi mr	2.0
Grilli, Jason 2209	pi mr cp	1.0		Bush, Matt 3673	pi mr cp	2.0
Travis, Devon 3436	2b	1.0		Tolleson, Shawn 3077	pi cp	1.0
Benoit, Joaquin 1663	pi mr	1.0		Choo, Shin-Soo 2267	rf	1.0
Cecil, Brett 2566	pi mr	1.0		Claudio, Alex 3459	pi mr	1.0
Navarro, Dioner 2087	dh ca	1.0		Jeffress, Jeremy 3473	pi cp	1.0
				Diekman, Jake 3266	pi mr	1.0
				Alvarez, Dario 3663	pi mr	1.0
				Profar, Jurickson 3665	ph	1.0
Totals		114.0		Totals		122.5

What are those numbers after players' names?

AL Division Series, Game 1: Red Sox at Indians

The Red Sox rank second in Box-Toppers team rankings (128.3 Box-Toppers points) while the Indians rank fourth (123.7). In the final 10 days of the season, the Indians picked up 6.0 Box-Toppers points while the Red Sox picked up 5.0.

The pitching matchup Thursday:

Red Sox—Rick Porcello, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 91st among all players, 31st among AL pitchers. (Despite leading all pitchers with 22 wins, Porcello did not rank highly in Box-Toppers player rankings in 2016.) 

Indians—Trevor Bauer, 11.4 Box-Toppers points, 34th among all players, 12th among AL pitchers. (Bauer ranks higher than Porcello in Box-Toppers player rankings but has 10 fewer wins—he was 12-8 in 2016.)

The Red Sox are the AL’s top-ranked team in Box-Toppers points, but have only one player ranked in the top 10 in a Box-Toppers category—David Price, 12.4 Box-Toppers points, ranks ninth among AL pitchers.

The Indians have three pitchers in Box-Toppers top 10 pitchers list, none of whom is starting Game 1:

• Corey Kluber, 21.2 Box-Toppers points, ranks first among AL pitchers and fifth among all players.
• Danny Salazar, 12.5 Box-Toppers points, ranks eighth among AL pitchers.
• Carlos Carrasco, 12.4 Box-Toppers points, ranks 10th among AL pitchers.

Red Sox vs. Indians

Here are players for both teams in the AL Divisional Series beginning Thursday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2016. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters.  

Boston Red Sox				Cleveland Indians
Player	Pos	BTP		Player	Pos	BTP
Price, David 2593	pi sp	12.4		Kluber, Corey 3200	pi sp	21.2
Pomeranz, Drew 3061	pi sp	12.4		Salazar, Danny 3223	pi sp	12.5
Wright, Steven 3224	pi sp	8.4		Carrasco, Carlos 2885	pi sp	12.4
Kimbrel, Craig 2825	pi cp	8.0		Bauer, Trevor 3065	pi sp	11.4
Ortiz, David	dh	8.0		Miller, Andrew 2436	pi cp mr	8.0
Porcello, Rick 2573	pi sp	8.0		Allen, Cody 3265	pi cp mr	7.0
Shaw, Travis 3544	1b 3b	7.0		Lindor, Francisco 3586	ss	7.0
Ramirez, Hanley 2119	1b	7.0		Napoli, Mike 2161	1b	6.5
Betts, Mookie 3404	rf	6.2		Tomlin, Josh 2771	pi sp	5.0
Bradley, Jackie Jr. 3293	cf	5.5		Chisenhall, Lonnie 2959	rf	3.5
Hill, Aaron 2056	2b	5.5		Crisp, Coco 1876	lf	3.0
Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	5.0		Otero, Dan 3365	pi mr	3.0
Pedroia, Dustin 2320	2b	5.0		Shaw, Bryan 2995	pi mr	3.0
Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480	pi sp	4.7		Clevinger, Mike 3707	pi mr sp	3.0
Uehara, Koji 2802	pi cp	4.0		Byrd, Marlon 1751	rf	2.5
Ross, Robbie Jr. 2999	pi cp mr sp	3.0		Santana, Carlos 2757	dh 1b	2.5
Leon, Sandy 3676	ca	3.0		Almonte, Abraham 3554	rf ph	2.0
Holt, Brock 3340	3b lf	2.5		Naquin, Tyler 3662	cf ph	2.0
Ziegler, Brad 2504	pi cp	2.0		Anderson, Cody 3509	pi sp	1.7
Abad, Fernando 3653	pi mr	2.0		Ramirez, Jose 3436	3b	1.5
Hembree, Heath 3620	pi cp	1.7		Brantley, Michael 2785	lf	1.0
Swihart, Blake 3565	lf ca	1.0		McAllister, Zach 3088	pi mr sp	1.0
Kelly, Joe 3066	pi sp	1.0		Gomes, Yan 3177	ca	1.0
Bogaerts, Xander 3383	ss	1.0		Guyer, Brandon 3363	lf	1.0
Hanigan, Ryan 2708	ca	1.0		Gimenez, Chris 2870	ca	1.0
Tazawa, Junichi 3151	pi mr	1.0
Vazquez, Christian 3380	ca	1.0
Brentz, Bryce 3680	lf	1.0
Totals		128.3		Totals		123.7

What are those numbers after players' names?

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Orioles' Chris Tillman faces Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman in AL Wild Card Game

The Baltimore Orioles visit the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League one-game Wild Card playoff game Tuesday.

Starting pitchers are:

Orioles—Chris Tillman, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 30th among AL pitchers, 89th overall.

Blue Jays—Marcus Stroman, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, 43rd among AL pitchers, 112th overall.

Both teams have identical 89-73 records, but the Orioles rank higher in Box-Toppers team rankings—they are seventh with 116.6 Box-Toppers points, while the Blue Jays are ninth with 114.0. The Blue Jays are the lowest-ranked AL team to make the postseason. 

The Orioles finished the season as one of the hottest teams in baseball. In the final 10 days of the season, they earned 8.5 Box-Toppers points, third-most among all teams. The Blue Jays earned 6.0 points during that period.

Top-ranked player among both teams is Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ, 14.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked third among AL pitchers and 11th among all players. However, Happ started Saturday.

The Blue Jays also feature two players ranked in the top 10 list of AL batters for 2016:

• Catcher Russell Martin, 10.5 Box-Toppers points, ranks sixth among AL batters, 48th among all players.
• Third baseman Josh Donaldson, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranks seventh among AL batters, 57th among all players.

The Orioles top-ranked player is third baseman-shortstop Manny Machado, whose 12.7 Box-Toppers points leads all AL batters. He ranks 21st among all players.

Also in the top 10 among AL batters is Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, 11.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth, 38th among all players.

The winner of the AL Wild Card game will face the Texas Rangers in the best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Texas. The Rangers rank fifth in Box-Toppers team rankings, third among AL teams, with 122.5 Box-Toppers points.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Orioles vs. Blue Jays

Here are players for both teams in the AL Wild Card Game Tuesday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2016. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters.  

Baltimore Orioles				Toronto Blue Jays
Player	Pos	BTP		Player	Pos	BTP
Machado, Manny 3087	3b ss	12.7		Happ, J.A. 2536	pi sp	14.7
Wieters, Matt 2643	ca	11.0		Estrada, Marco 2847	pi sp	11.0
Gausman, Kevin 3191	pi sp	10.8		Sanchez, Aaron 3392	pi sp	10.7
Trumbo, Mark 2851	rf	8.2		Martin, Russell 2202	ca	10.5
Tillman, Chris 2754	pi sp	8.0		Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	9.7
Davis, Chris 2478	1b	7.5		Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	8.0
Hardy, J.J. 2071	ss	6.2		Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	dh 1b	8.0
Miley, Wade 3006	pi sp	6.0		Dickey, R.A. 1734	pi sp	7.0
Bundy, Dylan 3655	pi sp	6.0		Stroman, Marcus 3327	pi sp	6.7
Britton, Zach 2835	pi cp	5.0		Saunders, Michael 2768	lf	5.2
Jimenez, Ubaldo 2349	pi sp	4.7		Smoak, Justin 2731	1b	3.5
Schoop, Jonathan 3307	2b	4.5		Osuna, Roberto 3512	pi cp	3.0
Brach, Brad 3374	pi mr	3.0		Upton, Melvin 1922	lf cf	2.5
O’Day, Darren 2577	pi mr cp	3.0		Pillar, Kevin 3486	cf	2.0
Wilson, Tyler 3608	pi mr sp	3.0		Biagini, Joe 3646	pi mr	2.0
Gallardo, Yovani 2333	pi sp	2.0		Goins, Ryan 3478	2b	1.5
Pearce, Steve 2371	1b	2.0		Bautista, Jose Antonio 2169	rf	1.0
Bourn, Michael 2505	rf cf	2.0		Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	1.0
Givens, Mychal 3599	pi mr	2.0		Bolsinger, Mike 3318	pi sp	1.0
Lobstein, Kyle 3406	pi sp mr	2.0		Grilli, Jason 2209	pi mr cp	1.0
Kim, Hyun Soo 3671	lf	2.0		Travis, Devon 3436	2b	1.0
Jones, Adam 2347	cf	1.0		Benoit, Joaquin 1663	pi mr	1.0
Alvarez, Pedro 2817	dh 1b	1.0		Cecil, Brett 2566	pi mr	1.0
Wright, Mike 3471	pi sp	1.0		Navarro, Dioner 2087	dh ca	1.0
Hunter, Tommy 2623	pi cp	1.0
Reimold, Nolan 2607	lf	1.0
Totals		116.6		Totals		114.0

What are those numbers after players' names?

Giants' Vogelsong, Cardinals' Adams top players for Tuesday, Oct. 7, leading their teams into the NLCS

Ryan Vogelsong allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings and led the San Francisco Giants to a National League Division Series Game 4 win, eliminating the Washington Nationals. He is Box-Toppers.com Player of the Day for Tuesday.

Vogelsong also allowed two hits, two walks and struck out four, earning a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2, the highest of any Giants player, in the 3-2 win. Vogelsong did not earn the win because after he exited the game, the Nationals tied the score, 2-2 in the top of the seventh, before the Giants took the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the seventh.

During the regular season Vogelsong had 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 74th among all players, 36th among NL pitchers.

The Giants eliminate the Nationals in the best-of-five game series, 3-1, and will face the Cardinals in the NL Championship series beginning Saturday in St. Louis.

The Giants were ranked eighth in Box-Toppers team rankings with their players accumulating 110.8 Box-Toppers points during the regular season. The Nationals were ranked fourth with 115.5 Box-Toppers points.

NLDS Game 4: Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2

Matt Adams hit a three-run homer and led the St. Louis Cardinals to a National League Division Series Game 4 win, eliminating the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is Player of the Game in the 3-2 win.

Adams hit his go-ahead homer in the seventh inning off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (who led all players in Box-Toppers points for 2014). Adams had a Box-Toppers game score of 2.0. The Cardinals win the best-of-five game series, 3-1.

Kershaw uncharacteristically lost two consecutive starts (he also lost Game 1 of the NLDS). The last time he did that was last October in the NL Championship Series, also against the Cardinals. Kershaw had 31.5 Box-Toppers points in 2014, tied for the fourth-most Box-Toppers points in a single season in the past 20 years.

Kershaw allowed only one hit through six innings. In the end, he gave up three runs, four hits and two walks over six innings, striking out nine. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +3—which was actually the highest of any player in the game. 

Adams, meanwhile, had 1.0 Box-Toppers point during the regular season, ranked 530th among all players and 127th among NL batters.

The Cardinals were ranked fifth in Box-Toppers team rankings with 114.8 Box-Toppers points. The Dodgers were the highest-rated NL team, ranked second with 123.2 Box-Toppers points.

The Cardinals face the Giants in the NL Championship Series beginning Saturday.

•

With the elimination of the Angels, Dodgers, Athletics and Nationals, the Cardinals now have the highest Box-Toppers ranking of remaining playoff teams. They are ranked fifth with 114.8 Box-Toppers points. 

No playoff games are scheduled Wednesday or Thursday. Baseball resumes Friday with Game 1 of the American League Championship Series between the Royals and Orioles in Baltimore.

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

1007	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	3.2	`Giants	Ryan Vogelsong	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	2	1	1	2	4
POG	2.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	3	1	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Cardinals' Lackey, Nationals' Fister top players in pair of NLDS Game 3s, Monday, Oct. 6

John Lackey, who struck out eight over seven innings and allowed one run in the Cardinals 3-1 win over the Dodgers in the National League Division Series Game 3, is Monday’s Player of the Day.

Lackey gives the Cardinals a 2-1 lead over the Dodgers in the best-of-five game series that resumes Tuesday.

Lackey had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Cardinals player of 7.0.

During the regular season, Lackey had 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 50th among all players, 24th among NL pitchers.

NLDS Game 3: Nationals 4, Giants 1

Doug Fister, who pitched seven scoreless innings, leading the Nationals to a 4-1 win over the Giants is Player of the Game in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

Fister, who also allowed four hits, walked three and struck out three, gave the Nationals their first 2014 postseason win. They trail the Giants in the best-of-five game series, 2-1.

Fister had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Nationals player of 3.0.

During the regular season, Fister had 14.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 19th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

Giants starter Madison Bumgarner, who was third among all players in Box-Toppers player rankings during the regular season, picked up the loss. Bumgarner gave up three runs on eight hits over seven innings, striking out six. His Box-Toppers game score was +1. Bumgarner had 22.6 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.

Coming Tuesday:

NLDS Game 4, Cardinals lead Dodgers, 2-1

The pitching matchup Tuesday:

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, 31.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among all players. 

Cardinals: Shelby Miller, 9.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 64th among all players, 30th among NL pitchers.

NLDS Game 4, Giants lead Nationals, 2-1

The pitching matchup Tuesday:

Nationals: Gio Gonzalez, 11.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 44th among all players, 18th among NL pitchers.

Giants: Ryan Vogelsong, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 74th among all players, 36th 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

1006	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	7.0	Cardinals	John Lackey (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	8
POG	3.0	Nationals	Doug Fister (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	3	3

Orioles' Norris, Royals' Aoki top players as both teams sweep their ALDS, Sunday, Oct. 5

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris, who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to eliminate the Tigers in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, is Sunday’s Player of the Day.

Norris also allowed two hits and struck out six in the 2-1 win. The Orioles win the series 3-0 and will face the Royals in the AL Championship Series beginning Friday.

Norris had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Orioles player of +8.1. 

During the regular season, Norris had 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 51st among all players and 23rd among AL pitchers.

The Orioles are ranked just ahead of the Tigers in Box-Toppers team rankings, in sixth place with 113.4 Box-Toppers points. The Tigers are in seventh with 112.9 Box-Toppers points. (See final team rankings.)

ALDS Game 3: Royals 8, Angels 3

Norichika Aoki, who went 3-for-3, scoring twice and driving in a run, as his Royals swept the Angels, is Player of the Game in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.

The Royals, with their 3-0 series victory, upset the Angels, the team in first place in Box-Toppers team rankings with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. The Royals have the lowest Box-Toppers team ranking of remaining teams in the playoffs—10th place with 101.1 Box-Toppers points. (See final team rankings.)

The Royals will now face the Orioles in the AL Championship Series beginning Friday.

Aoki had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Royals player of +3.

During the regular season, Aoki had 2.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 443rd among all players, 111th among AL batters.

Coming Monday:

NLDS Game 3, Dodgers at Cardinals, series tied 1-1

The pitching matchup Monday:

Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu, 11.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 41st among all players, 15th among NL pitchers.

Cardinals: John Lackey, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 50th among all players, 24th among NL pitchers.

NLDS Game 3, Giants lead Nationals, 2-0

The pitching matchup Monday:

Nationals: Doug Fister, 14.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 19th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

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

1005	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	8.1	Orioles	Bud Norris (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	2	0	0	2	6
POG	3.0	Royals	Norichika Aoki RF	3	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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.

Royals' Yordano Ventura tops players in day of 4 playoff games, Friday, Oct. 3

Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, who allowed one run in seven innings in the American League Division Series Game 2 win over the Angels, is Friday’s Player of the Day.

Ventura, who also struck out five and walked one, did not earn the win in the 4-1, 11-inning win, because he exited the game with the score tied, 1-1. Ventura had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Royals player of +4, which was also enough to earn Player of the Day honors in a day of four league division series playoff games.

During the regular season, Ventura had 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranking 75th among all players, 33rd among AL pitchers.

The Royals now lead the Angels in the best-of-five series, 2-0. The Angels are first in Box-Toppers team rankings with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. The Royals are 10th with 101.1. The Royals can sweep the series in Game 3 Sunday in Kansas City.

In Friday’s other games:

NLDS Game 1: Giants 3, Nationals 2

Giants pitcher Jake Peavy, who pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the win over the Nationals is Player of the Game in the National League Division Series Game 1.

Peavy, who led the Giants to a 3-2 win, had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2.

During the regular season, Peavy had 5.7 Box-Toppers points, ranking 165th among all players and 58th among NL pitchers.

Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg, who was 10th among all players in Box-Toppers player rankings during the regular season, picked up the loss. Strasburg gave up eight hits and two runs over five innings, striking out two. His Box-Toppers game score was -5. Strasburg had 16.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.

The Giants now lead the Nationals in the best-of-five series, 1-0.

NLDS Game 1: Cardinals 10, Dodgers 9

Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals, who homered, doubled and drove in four runs, is Player of the Game in the Cardinals 10-9 NL Division Series Game 1 win over the Dodgers.

Carpenter also went 2-for-5 and scored twice and had the Cardinals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3.

During the regular season, Carpenter had 2.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 407th among all players, 96th among NL batters.

In a game that was billed as a matchup of two pitching aces—Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers—both pitchers had to make early, ignominious exits:

• Wainwright (18.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth) gave up 11 hits and six runs over 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and had a Box-Toppers game score of −14.9. Wainwright earned no decision because the Cardinals later came back to take the lead and win.

• Kershaw (31.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked first) gave up eight runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and picking up the loss. He had a Box-Toppers game score of −7.8. 

The Cardinals now lead the Dodgers in the best-of-five series, 1-0.

ALDS Game 2: Orioles 7, Tigers 6

Delmon Young of the Orioles, who hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead three-run double is Player of the Game in the AL Division Series Game 2.

Young’s eighth-inning hit put the Orioles ahead in the game they won 7-6. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.

During the regular season, Young had 5.5 Box-Toppers points, ranking 178th among all players and 31st among AL batters.

The Orioles now lead the Tigers in the best-of-five series, 2-0. The series resumes Sunday in Detroit.

Coming Saturday:

National League Division Series Game 2, Giants lead Nationals, 1-0

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Giants: Tim Hudson, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 71st among all players, 34th among NL pitchers.

Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann, 15.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th among all players, seventh among NL pitchers.

National League Division Series Game 2, Cardinals lead Dodgers, 1-0

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Cardinals: Lance Lynn, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 48th among all players, 22nd among NL pitchers.

Dodgers: Zack Greinke, 16.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among all players, sixth 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

1003	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	4.0	`Royals	Yordano Ventura	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	5
POG	3.2	Giants	Jake Peavy (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	2	0	0	3	3
POG	3.0	Cardinals	Matt Carpenter 3B	5	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
POG	3.0	Orioles	Delmon Young PH	1	0	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Orioles' Cruz, Royals' Holland top players in pair of opening ALDS games for Thursday, Oct. 2

Nelson Cruz led the Orioles offense to a Game 1 win in the American League Division Series win over the Tigers and is Thursday’s Player of the Day.

Cruz homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 12-3 win over the Tigers to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Cruz had the Orioles’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3.

During the regular season, Cruz earned 8.5 Box-Toppers points, 77th among all players and sixth among AL batters.

Max Scherzer, Box-Toppers' fifth-ranked player this season, started the game for the Tigers and picked up the loss. Scherzer (7.1 IP 7H 5R 6K) had a Box-Toppers game score of -4.9. He has 22.1 Box-Toppers points on the season, ranked second among AL pitchers.

Royals pitcher Greg Holland is Player of the Game in the other AL Division Series Game 1. Holland closed out the Angels in the bottom of the 11th, pitching one scoreless inning, striking out two and earning the save, in the 3-2 win over the Angels. The Royals take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Holland had the Royals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3. While both of Thursday’s Players of the Game had Box-Toppers game scores of +3, Cruz edged out Holland as overall Player of the Day because in a tie-breaker, batters beat pitchers when Box-Toppers game scores are tied.

Holland earned 7.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 106th among all players, 37th among all AL pitchers and fourth among AL closing pitchers.

Coming Friday:

American League Division Series Game 2, Orioles lead Tigers, 1-0

The pitching matchup Friday:

Tigers: Justin Verlander, 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 237th among all players, 68th among AL pitchers.

Orioles: Wei-Yen Chen, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 131st among all players, 50th among AL pitchers.

National League Division Series Game 1, Giants at Nationals

The Nationals have an edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. Nationals players have accumulated 115.5 Box-Toppers points this season, ranking fourth among all teams. The Giants rank eighth with 110.8 points. The Nationals also had the hottest final 10 days of the season of any team, picking up 11.5 Box-Toppers points over that period. The Giants picked up 4.5 during the same period.

The pitching matchup Friday:

Giants: Jake Peavy, 5.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 165th among all players, 58th among NL pitchers.

Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, 16.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among all players, fifth among NL pitchers.

National League Division Series Game 1, Cardinals at Dodgers

The Dodgers have the edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. Dodgers players have accumulated 123.2 Box-Toppers points this season, second among all teams and first among NL teams. The Cardinals have 114.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among all teams

The pitching match up Friday:

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

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, 31.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among all players.

American League Division Series Game 2, Royals lead the Angels, 1-0

The pitching match up Friday:

Royals: Yordano Ventura, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, rank 75th among all players, 33rd among AL pitchers.

Angels: Matt Shoemaker, 11.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 38th among all players, 22nd 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

1002	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	3.0	Orioles	Nelson Cruz DH	4	2	2	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
POG	3.0	Royals	Greg Holland (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2

Giants' Madison Bumgarner shuts out Pirates in NL Wild Card Game, tops players for Wednesday, Oct. 1

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who pitched a complete game shutout in the National League Wild Card Game win over the Pirates, is Wednesday’s Player of the Day.

Bumgarner allowed four hits and one walk and struck out 10 in the 8-0 win. He had the Giants’ high Box-Toppers game score of +14. Brandon Belt, who went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs, had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score among Giants players of +3.

During the regular season, Bumgarner earned 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranking third among all players and second among NL pitchers.

The Giants now advance to face the Nationals in the best-of-five NL Division Series beginning Friday in Washington.

The Giants are ranked eighth in regular season Box-Toppers team rankings with 110.8 Box-Toppers points. They eliminate the Pirates, the 11th-ranked team with 99.9 Box-Toppers points. The team the Giants will face, the Nationals, rank fourth in Box-Toppers team rankings with 115.5 Box-Toppers points.

Coming Thursday:

American League Division Series Game 1, Tigers at Orioles

The Orioles have a slight edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. They have 113.4 Box-Toppers points, ranking sixth among all teams. The Tigers have 112.9 points, ranking seventh. During the final 10 days of the regular season, Orioles players earned 4.0 Box-Toppers points and Tigers players earned 6.0.

The pitching matchup Thursday:

Tigers: Max Scherzer, 22.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among all players, second among AL pitchers.

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

American League Division Series Game 1, Royals at Angels

The Angels are Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. The Royals rank 10th with 101.1 points. However, in the final 10 days of the regular season, the Angels had the fewest Box-Toppers points of any AL team (3.0), while the Royals had 6.5.

The pitching matchup Thursday:

Royals: Jason Vargas, 7.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 107th among all players, 38th among AL pitchers.

Angels: Jered Weaver, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 126th among all players, 47th 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 in NL Wild Card Game

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner was Player of the Game (POG) in the 8-0 win over the Pirates

1001	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	14.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	1	10

Justin Verlander (8IP 2H 0R 10K) leads Tigers to eliminate A's in ALDS, tops players for Thursday, Oct. 10

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, who flirted with a no-hitter and led Detroit to win the American League Division Series over the Athletics, is Thursday's Player of the Day.

Verlander gave up only two hits, no runs and struck out 10 over eight innings in the 3-0 win over the Athletics. He did not give up his first hit until two out in the seventh inning.

The Tigers won the series over the Athletics three games to two to move onto the best-of-seven American League Championship Series against the Red Sox, beginning Saturday in Boston. The Tigers are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers points with 123.4. The Athletics rank eighth with 115.3.

Verlander had 10.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 53rd overall. In 2012, he led all players in Box-Toppers points with 24.8.

The four remaining teams in the playoffs are also the four top teams in Box-Toppers Team Power Rankings: 

1. Tigers, 123.4 Box-Toppers points
2. Dodgers, 122.7 Box-Toppers points
3. Cardinals, 122.4 Box-Toppers points
4. Red Sox,  121.7 Box-Toppers points

The Cardinals will face the Dodgers beginning Friday in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series. 

Coming Friday: Check back Friday for a Box-Toppers preview of the NLCS. Find out how the starters from each team stack up against each other in Box-Toppers points. Who's the best left fielder? Carlos Beltran or Yasiel Puig? Which team has the best pitchers in terms of Box-Toppers points?

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league, 1.5 for top batter in each league and 1.0 for the top player in each of the other games. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1010	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	15.0	Tigers		0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Verlander (W, 1-0)	8.0	2	0	0	1	10

Adam Wainwright leads Cardinals in NLDS series win, tops players for Wednesday, Oct. 9

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who helped seal his team's berth in the National League Championship Series, is Wednesday's Player of the Day.

Wainwright gave up one run and pitched a complete game in the 6-1 win over the Pirates, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 NL Division Series win. 

This is the second time this postseason that Wainwright has earned Player of the Game honors. He was also Player of the Game in the Cardinals win in Game 1 of the series. Wainwright had 20.2 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked second overall (see the Top 10 Player Ranking list on the home page).

The Cardinals will face the Dodgers beginning Friday in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series. 

Coming Thursday: The League Division Series conclude Thursday with Game 5 of the ALDS series between the Tigers and Athletics. The pitching match-ups are the same as in Game 2 of the series (won by the Athletics 1-0):

ALDS Game 5, Tigers at Athletics, series tied 2-2

Tigers: Justin Verlander, 10.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 53rd overall

Athletics: Sonny Gray, 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 272nd overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league, 1.5 for top batter in each league and 1.0 for the top player in each of the other games. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1009	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	4.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Adam Wainwright (W, 2-0)	9.0	8	1	1	1	6

Red Sox' Craig Breslow tops players in Tuesday, Oct. 8's ALDS playoff games

Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow is Player of the Day in Tuesday's two American League Division Series playoff games.

Breslow struck out four over 1 2/3 innings of middle relief in the 3-1 win over the Rays, as the Red Sox won the ALDS three games to one.  Breslow had 1.0 Box-Toppers point during the regular season, ranking 632nd overall.

The Boston Red Sox will face the winner of the Tigers-Athletics ALDS in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series beginning Saturday.

Jhonny Peralta of the Tigers earned Player of the Game honors in the other ALDS game. Peralta homered, drove in three runs and went 2-for-3 in the 8-6 win over the Athletics to tie that ALDS at 2-2. Peralta had 3.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 347th overall. He was suspended for the final 50 games of the regular season for violating baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Coming Wednesday: One National League Division Series continues Wednesday with the decisive game five, featuring two starting pitchers who have both earned Player of the Game honors already in the series. The pitching match-up:

NLDS Game 5, Pirates at Cardinals, series tied 2-2

Pirates: Gerrit Cole, 4.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 211th overall. Cole was also Player of the Game in the Pirates win in Game 2 of the series.

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright, 20.2 Box-Toppers points, ranked second overall (see the Top 10 Player Ranking list on the home page). Wainwright was also Player of the Game in the Cardinals win in Game 1 of the series.

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league, 1.5 for top batter in each league and 1.0 for the top player in each of the other games. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1008	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	4.2	Red Sox		0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Breslow (W, 1-0)	1.2	1	0	0	0	4
BAT	3.0	Tigers	Jhonny Peralta LF	3	1	2	3	0	0				0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Cards' Michael Wacha tops players in Monday, Oct. 7's playoff games

Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha is Monday's Player of the Day among the four League Division Series playoff games.

Wacha gave up only one hit—a solo home run—over 7 1/3 innings and struck out nine in the 2-1 win over the Pirates to tie the National League Division series 2-2. Wacha had a no-hitter going into the eighth inning when he gave up the home run to Pedro Alvarez. 

Wacha had 3.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 361st overall. However, he didn't make his Box-Toppers debut until Sept. 8 (the first time he earned Player of the Game honors) and on Sept. 24, he was Box-Toppers Player of the Day, when he was one out away from a no-hitter against the Nationals.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw earned Player of the Game honors in the other NLDS game. Kershaw, Box-Toppers 2013 Player of the Season, had not been scheduled to start Monday but opted to make his first career start on short rest (he last started Thursday, Oct. 3). He pitched six innings and struck out six in the 4-3 win to eliminate the Braves in the NLDS series 3-1. Kershaw earned a no-decision because he left with the game tied 2-2.

Kershaw had 21.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, the most of any player. The Dodgers advance to the best-of-seven NL Championship Series against either the Pirates or the Cardinals beginning Friday. 

Jose Lobaton of the Rays is American League Player of the Day. Lobaton hit a walk-off homer in the 5-4 win over the Red Sox. The Rays trail the series 2-1 but force a Game Four. Lobaton had 3.5 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 299th overall.

Coco Crisp of the Athletics is Player of the Game in the other ALDS game. Crisp was 3-for-4 in the 6-3 win over the Tigers. The Athletics lead the series 2-1. Crisp had 4.0 Box-Toppers points for the season, ranking 255th overall.

 Coming Tuesday: Both American League Division Series continue Tuesday. Here are the pitching match-ups:

ALDS Game 4, Athletics lead Tigers 2-1

Athletics: Dan Straily, 7.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 96th overall

Tigers: Doug Fister, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 113th overall

ALDS Game 4, Red Sox lead Rays 2-1

Red Sox: Jake Peavy, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 84th overall

Rays: Jeremy Hellickson, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 136th overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league, 1.5 for top batter in each league and 1.0 for the top player in each of the other games. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1007	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.1	Cardinals		0	0	0	0	0	0			Michael Wacha (W, 1-0)	7.1	1	1	1	2	9
	6.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw	6.0	3	2	0	1	6
AL	2.0	Rays	Jose Lobaton C	1	1	1	1	0	0				0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Athletics	Coco Crisp CF	4	1	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.

Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez tops players in Sunday, Oct. 6's NLDS games

Hanley Ramirez of the Dodgers is Sunday's Player of the Day in the two National League Division Series playoff games. 

Ramirez scored three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 13-6 win over the Braves to take a 2-1 series lead for the Dodgers. Ramirez had 5.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 177th overall, second among all NL shortstops. 

Marlon Byrd of the Pirates is Sunday's other Player of the Game. Byrd drove in two runs and went 2-for-3 in the 5-3 win over the Cardinals to take a 2-1 series lead for the Pirates. Byrd had 5.5 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 164th overall. 

 Coming Monday: All four League Division Series continue Monday. Three of the four series could be decided. Here are the pitching match-ups:

ALDS Game 3, Athletics at Tigers, series tied 1-1

Athletics: Jarrod Parker, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 138th overall

Tigers: Anibal Sanchez, 17.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh overall (see the top 10 Player Rankings list on the home page)

NLDS Game 4, Pirates lead Cardinals 2-1

Cardinals: Michael Wacha, 3.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 361st overall

Pirates: Charlie Morton, 3.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 344th overall

ALDS Game 3, Red Sox lead Rays 2-0

Red Sox: Clay Buchholz, 11.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked 41st overall

Rays: Alex Cobb, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 58th overall

NLDS Game 4, Dodgers lead Braves 2-1

Braves: Freddy Garcia, 1.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 509th overall

Dodgers: Ricky Nolasco, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 60th overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league, 1.5 for top batter in each league and 1.0 for the top player in each of the other games. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1006	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	4.0	Dodgers	Hanley Ramirez SS	4	3	3	2	1	0				0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Pirates	Marlon Byrd RF	3	1	2	2	1	0				0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Pirates' Sonny Gray tops players in Saturday, Oct. 5's ALDS games

Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray is Saturday's Player of the Day in the two American League Division Series playoff games. 

Gray pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 1-0 win over the Tigers to tie the series at 1-1. Gray picked up a no decision because he left the game in a scoreless tie after eight innings, but the Athletics scored on Stephen Vogt's bases-loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. 

Gray had 4.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 272nd overall.

Jacob Ellsbury of the Red Sox is Saturday's other Player of the Game. Ellsbury scored three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 7-4 win over the Rays, to lead that series 2-0.  Ellsbury had 5.5 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 161st overall.

 Coming Sunday: The two NLDS series continue Sunday. Here are the pitching match-ups:

NLDS Game 3, Cardinals at Pirates, series tied 1-1

Cardinals: Joe Kelly, 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 264th overall

Pirates: Francisco Liriano, 16.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked ninth overall (see the top 10 Player Rankings list on the home page)

NLDS Game 3, Braves at Dodgers, series tied 1-1

Braves: Julio Teheran, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 23rd overall

Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 61st overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league and 1.5 for top batter in each league. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1005	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Sonny Gray	8.0	4	0	0	2	9
BAT	3.0	Red Sox	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	4	3	3	1	0	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.

Tigers' Max Scherzer tops players in Friday, Oct 4's playoff games

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, who led American League players in regular season Box-Toppers points, is Friday's Player of the Day in the four division series playoff games.

Scherzer struck out 11 over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Athletics, as the Tigers lead the AL Division Series best-of-five, 1-0. 

Scherzer had 18.1 Box-Toppers points for the season, the most of any AL player, ranking fifth overall (see the top 10 Player Ranking list on the home page). 

Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole was National League Player of the Day. Cole gave up one run over six innings in the 7-1 win over the Cardinals to tie the NLDS series at 1-1.  Cole had 4.7 Box-Toppers points in 2013, ranking 211th overall.

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester was Player of the Game in the 12-2 win over the Rays, leading the Red Sox to an ALDS series lead of 1-0. Lester struck out seven over 7 2/3 innings.  Lester had 12.7 Box-Toppers points in 2013, ranking 34th overall.

Braves pitcher Craig Kimbrel was Player of the Game in the 4-3 win over the Dodgers, leading the Braves to tie the NLDS series at 1-1. Kimbrel struck out two over 1 1/3 innings and picked up the save. Kimbrel had 12.7 Box-Toppers points in 2013, ranking 31st overall.

Coming Saturday: The two ALDS series continue Saturday. Here are the pitching match-ups:

ALDS Game 2, Red Sox lead Rays 1-0

Rays: David Price, 7.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 92nd overall

Red Sox: John Lackey, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 148th overall

ALDS Game 2, Tigers lead Athletics 1-0

Tigers: Justin Verlander, 10.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 53rd overall

Athletics: Sonny Gray, 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 272nd overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league and 1.5 for top batter in each league. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1004	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	2	2	2	11
NL	6.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gerrit Cole (W, 1-0)	6.0	2	1	1	1	5
	4.2	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jon Lester (W, 1-0)	7.2	3	2	2	3	7
	1.1	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Kimbrel (S, 1)	1.1	0	0	0	2	2

Dodgers' Kershaw, Cards' Wainwright top players in Thursday, Oct. 3 NLDS games

The top two players in Box-Toppers Player Rankings were the top players in Thursday's opening round of the National League Division Series.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the leader in regular season Box-Toppers points, edged out Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, in second place on the list, to earn Thursday's Player of the Day honors. (See the player rankings top 10 list for 2013 on the home page.)

Kershaw struck out 12 over seven innings and allowed one run in the 6-1 win over the Braves. The Dodgers lead the Braves in the best-of-five series 1-0.  Game 2 is Friday in Atlanta.

Wainwright was Player of the Game in the 9-1 win over the Pirates. He struck out nine over seven innings and allowed one run. The Cardinals lead in the best-of-five series 1-0. Game 2 is Friday in St. Louis.

Kershaw and Wainwight had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 11.0, but Kershaw was given the nod as Player of the Day because he had more strikeouts (12 vs. nine). 

Kershaw led Box-Toppers Player Rankings for the season with 21.7 Box-Toppers points. Wainwright was second with 20.2. They are the only two players in 2013 with more than 20.0 Box-Toppers points.  No Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason.

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1003	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Clayton Kershaw (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	1	1	3	12
	11.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Adam Wainwright (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	1	1	0	9