Nationals' Yusmeiro Petit tops players in Tuesday, March 8's spring training games

Nationals pitcher Yusmeiro Petit is Box-Toppers spring training Player of the Day for Tuesday.

Petit pitched three scoreless innings of middle relief, allowing one hit and striking out four, in the 4-2 win over the Astros. Petit had no Box-Toppers points in 2015 with the Giants. He last earned Box-Toppers points Sept. 9, 2014, with the Giants, a season in which he earned 4.0 points.

American League Player of the Day—Avisail Garcia of the White Sox homered, tripled and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 10-8 win over the Brewers. Garcia earned 3.0 Box-Toppers points in 2015 with the White Sox.

National League Batter of the Day—Christian Arroyo of the Giants hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-2, scoring twice, in the 16-7 win over the Reds. Arroyo has yet to make his regular season Major League debut and so has yet to earn his first Box-Toppers points.

American League Batter of the Day—There is no separate AL Batter of the Day for Tuesday because the overall AL Player of the Day was a batter, Avisail Garcia.

Scoring—No Box-Toppers points are awarded in spring training games, but if it were the regular season, Petit would earn 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, Garcia would earn 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day and Arroyo would earn 1.5 points as NL Batter of the Day. All of Tuesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) would earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Note—Sixteen spring training games were scheduled for Tuesday—15 are listed below. One game is not included because it ended in a tie (Diamondbacks vs. Padres).

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

3/8	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	6.0	Nationals	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	1	0	0	0	4
AL	5.0	White Sox	Avisail García RF	4	2	3	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Royals	Edinson Vólquez (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	0	0	0	0	2
	4.0	Blue Jays	Darrell Ceciliani CF	3	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	4.0	Giants	Christian Arroyo PH-3B	2	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Cardinals	Aledmys Diaz SS	4	1	4	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Tigers	Bruce Rondon (SV, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	`Braves	Matt Marksberry	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Rangers	Delino DeShields CF	3	1	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Angels	Carlos Pérez C	3	1	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Red Sox	Marco Hernandez SS	2	2	2	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Phillies	Dalier Hinojosa (SV, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Marlins	Dustin McGowan (SV, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Indians	José Ramírez 3B	3	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Dodgers	Micah Johnson 2B	4	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
		` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

How impressive was Madison Bumgarner in postseason? Of 32 total playoff games, he was top player in five

How impressive was Madison Bumgarner’s postseason performance?

The ace starting pitcher earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors five times in the Giants’ World Series-winning playoff run. That means he was top player in 15 percent of the 32 postseason games played. He was top player in 29 percent of the 17 postseason games the Giants played. He was top player in 42 percent of the 12 postseason games the Giants won. And he was top player in 71 percent of the seven games in which he appeared.

By comparison, Bumgarner earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors 15 times in his 33 regular season starts. Bumgarner ranked third among all players in regular season Box-Toppers points with 22.6 (see Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings), so his regular season was pretty impressive. But if he were to maintain his pace this October throughout a regular season, he would have something like 45.0 Box-Toppers points for a season. That would shatter the all-time record for Box-Toppers points in a single season of 33.7 set by Randy Johnson in both 2000 and 2002. (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995).

See a recap of who earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in all 32 of the 2014 postseason games in the chart below. Bumgarner’s five top player honors are highlighted in red text.

Bumgarner’s five Player of the Game honors were far and away the most by any player in the 2014 postseason. Four other players were each Player of the Game twice during the postseason:

• Travis Ishikawa of the Giants: In National League Championship Series Game 3 and Game 5.

• Yusmeiro Petit of the Giants: In NL Division Series Game 2 and NLCS Game 4.

• Wade Davis of the Royals: In American League Championship Series Game 1 and World Series Game 3.

• Lorenzo Cain of the Royals: In ALCS Game 2 and World Series Game 6.

Nineteen players each earned Player of the Game honors once during the 2014 postseason.

Bumgarner also had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Player of the Game in all 32 postseason games. On Oct. 1, in the NL Wild Card Game, Bumgarner had a Box-Toppers game score of +14.0—he pitched a complete game 8-0 shutout over the Pirates, striking out 10.

Bumgarner also had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score of the postseason’s 32 Players of the Game (+13.0 in his World Series Game 5 shutout of the Royals, 5-0). In fact, Bumgarner had five of the 10 highest Box-Toppers game scores of all 2014 postseason Player of the Game honorees (see the chart of the top 10 at the bottom of the post).

Three of Bumgarner’s five Player of the Game honors came during the World Series as the Giants defeated the Royals four games to three.

Wade Davis had the highest Box-Toppers game score for a Player of the Game honoree among Royals players in the postseason. His game score of +6.0 in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series ranks as 10th-highest in the 2014 postseason among Player of the Game honorees.

Pitchers monopolized the top 10 chart for highest Box-Toppers game score among Player of the Game honorees. The highest game score among batters was +3.0 by Hunter Pence of the Giants when he was Player of the Game in World Series Game 4.

The lowest Box-Toppers game score to win Player of the Game honors was +1.0 by Travis Ishikawa in Game 3 of the NLCS. The second-lowest Box-Toppers game score to win Player of the Game honors was +2.0 by Oscar Taveras of the Cardinals, who hit a pinch-hit home run in Game 2 of the NLCS. Taveras was killed in a car accident Oct. 26, 12 days after the game.

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 Player of the Game for each 2014 postseason game

Listings below are chronological, starting from the first Wild Card Game on Sept. 30 to the final World Series Game on Oct. 29—32 games in all (out of a total of 43 possible games if all series went the distance). On days where more than one game was played, players are listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score. There is a different background color for each postseason round—Wild Card round in yellow, League Division Series round in green, League Championship Series round in blue and World Series in red. Madison Bumgarner’s name is highlighted in red text in his five Player of the Game postseason honors.

Date	Round	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
9/30	ALWC	2.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	2	3	1	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/1	NLWC	14.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	1	10
10/2	ALDS	3.0	Orioles	Nelson Cruz DH	4	2	2	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/2	ALDS	3.0	Royals	Greg Holland (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
10/3	ALDS	4.0	`Royals	Yordano Ventura	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	5
10/3	NLDS	3.2	Giants	Jake Peavy (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	2	0	0	3	3
10/3	NLDS	3.0	Cardinals	Matt Carpenter 3B	5	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/3	ALDS	3.0	Orioles	Delmon Young PH	1	0	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/4	NLDS	10.0	`Dodgers	Zack Greinke	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	7
10/4	NLDS	9.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	1	0	0	3	7
10/5	ALDS	8.1	Orioles	Bud Norris (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	2	0	0	2	6
10/5	ALDS	3.0	Royals	Norichika Aoki RF	3	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/6	NLDS	7.0	Cardinals	John Lackey (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	8
10/6	NLDS	3.0	Nationals	Doug Fister (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	3	3
10/7	NLDS	3.2	`Giants	Ryan Vogelsong	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	2	1	1	2	4
10/7	NLDS	2.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	3	1	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/10	ALCS	6.0	Royals	Wade Davis (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	4
10/11	NLCS	9.2	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	4	0	0	1	7
10/11	ALCS	2.0	Royals	Lorenzo Cain CF, RF	5	2	4	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/12	NLCS	2.0	Cardinals	Oscar Taveras PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/14	ALCS	3.0	`Royals	Kelvin Herrera (H, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
10/14	NLCS	1.0	Giants	Travis Ishikawa LF	3	0	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/15	NLCS	5.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	1	0	0	1	4
10/15	ALCS	4.1	Royals	Jason Vargas (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	2	1	1	3	6
10/16	NLCS	2.0	Giants	Travis Ishikawa LF	3	1	1	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/21	WS	6.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	1	5
10/22	WS	3.0	Royals	Omar Infante 2B	3	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/24	WS	3.0	`Royals	Wade Davis (H, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
10/25	WS	3.0	Giants	Hunter Pence RF	5	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/26	WS	13.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	0	8
10/28	WS	3.0	Royals	Lorenzo Cain CF, RF	3	1	2	3	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
10/29	WS	7.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	0	4

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

Most dominating Players of the Game in 2014 postseason

Here are the top 10 Box-Toppers game scores for 2014 postseason Player of the Game honorees, representing the most dominating performances in the 32 playoff games. Madison Bumgarner of the Giants had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Player of the Game in the 2014 postseason (+14.0) and also had five of the top 10 game scores among 2014 postseason Player of the Game honorees.

Date	Round	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
10/1	NLWC	14.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	1	10
10/26	WS	13.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	0	8
10/4	NLDS	10.0	`Dodgers	Zack Greinke	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	7
10/11	NLCS	9.2	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	4	0	0	1	7
10/4	NLDS	9.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	1	0	0	3	7
10/5	ALDS	8.1	Orioles	Bud Norris (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	2	0	0	2	6
10/6	NLDS	7.0	Cardinals	John Lackey (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	8
10/29	WS	7.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	0	4
10/21	WS	6.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	1	5
10/10	ALCS	6.0	Royals	Wade Davis (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	4

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

Madison Bumgarner earns Box-Toppers Player of the Game for third time in World Series, leading Giants to title in Game 7, Wednesday, Oct. 29

Madison Bumgarner won Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors Wednesday for the third time in this World Series and led the Giants to its third title in five years.

Bumgarner, who pitched five scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits, striking out four and earning the save, is top player in the decisive Game 7. The Giants beat the Royals in the game 3-2 and won the series 4-3. The Giants previously won the World Series in 2010 and 2012.

Bumgarner had a Box-Toppers game score of +7.0, highest of any Giants player. He had been Player of the Game in World Series Game 1 and Game 5—both games he started. In Game 7, pitching on two-days’ rest, the Giants ace entered the game in unfamiliar territory for him— in relief in the fifth inning with the Giants already leading 3-2.

In the Giants four wins in the World Series, Bumgarner—who won World Series Most Valuable Player—was Box-Toppers Player of the Game in three of them. The only game in which Bumgarner was not Player of the Game was in Game 4, the Giants’ second win of the series. The honor that game went to Hunter Pence.

Bumgarner also earned Player of the Game honors five times during the postseason. Previously, he was Player of the Game:

• Oct. 1 in the National League Wild Card win over the Pirates.

• Oct. 11 in the NL Championship Series Game 1 win over the Cardinals.

• Oct. 21 in the World Series Game 1 win over the Royals.

• Oct. 26 in the World Series Game 5 win over the Royals.

Bumgarner was top player in nearly half the games the Giants won this postseason—five of 12. No other player earned Player of the Game honors more than twice during the postseason. The players who won it twice:

• Travis Ishikawa of the Giants: In National League Championship Series Game 3 and Game 5.

• Yusmeiro Petit of the Giants: In NL Division Series Game 2 and NLCS Game 4.

• Wade Davis of the Royals: In American League Championship Series Game 1 and World Series Game 3.

• Lorenzo Cain of the Royals: In ALCS Game 2 and World Series Game 6.

During the regular season, Bumgarner earned 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranking third among all players and second among NL pitchers. He was the highest-ranked player remaining in the postseason and the only player in the World Series in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings.

Bumgarner had originally been credited with a win in the game, even though he entered the game with the Giants already leading. That was corrected by official scorers within an hour after the game, giving the win to Jeremy Affeldt and the save to Bumgarner who was a five-inning closer. Affeldt, who pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief, was the pitcher of record when the Giants took the lead.

Had Bumgarner been pulled in favor of a closer—possibly Santiago Casilla—in the ninth inning, he still likely would have won Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors, even though Casilla would have been credited with the save and Bumgarner would have earned a no decision (no win or save). Under Box-Toppers rules, non-decision-earning pitchers are eligible to earn Player of the Game honors if they pitch three or more innings. After eight innings, Bumgarner pitched four innings and had a Box-Toppers game score of +6.0.

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 4 players in World Series Game 7 

Here are the top four Giants players in Wednesday’s World Series Game 7, ranked from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score (how game score is calculated). Madison Bumgarner, who had a Box-Toppers game score of +7.0, is Player of the Game (POG). Pablo Sandoval was the Giants’ batter with the highest Box-Toppers game score of +2.0. Only four Giants players had Box-Toppers game scores of 0.0 or above.

1029	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	7.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	0	4
	2.0	Giants	Pablo Sandoval 3B	3	2	3	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.1	Giants	Jeremy Affeldt (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	1	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Giants	Michael Morse DH	3	0	1	2	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Oct. 3, ALDS Game 2: Yordano Ventura

• Oct. 5, ALDS Game 3: Norichika Aoki

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

• Oct. 11, ALCS Game 2: Lorenzo Cain

• Oct. 14, ALCS Game 3: Kelvin Herrera

• Oct. 15, ALCS Game 4: Jason Vargas

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

Coming Thursday:

NLCS Game 5: Giants lead Cardinals, 3-1

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

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

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

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.

Giants' Yusmeiro Petit (6IP R 9K) tops players for Thursday, Aug. 28

Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Petit struck out nine over six innings, allowing one run, in the 4-1 win over the Rockies.

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is American League Player of the Day. Carrasco struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2 win over the White Sox. Carrasco has the highest Box-Toppers point total of all nine players who earned Player of the Game honors Thursday. Earning 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, Carrasco has 6.7 points for the season, ranking 89th among all players and 34th among AL pitchers.

Jordan Schafer of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Schafer doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-5, 10-inning win over the Royals.

No player earned National League Batter of the Day because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Petit receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Carrasco receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Schafer receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

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

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

828	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 4-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	0	9
	8.0	Reds	Dylan Axelrod (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	3	8
AL	6.2	Indians	Carlos Carrasco (W, 6-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	4	1	1	1	7
	6.0	Braves	Mike Minor (W, 6-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	5
BAT	4.0	Twins	Jordan Schafer LF	5	2	3	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Astros	Jason Castro C	3	1	2	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.2	Orioles	Andrew Miller (W, 4-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Angels	Fernando Salas (W, 5-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Tigers	Bryan Holaday PR, DH	0	1	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Marlins' Jose Fernandez takes lead among players in Box-Toppers points; Giants' Petit, nearly perfect, tops players for Friday, Sept. 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

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