Johnny Cueto struck out eight over eight innings, allowing two runs and two hits, to lead the Kansas City Royals to a Game 5 American League Division Series win Wednesday, eliminating the Houston Astros. Cueto is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, closer Roberto Osuna pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out four, to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a Game 5 AL Division Series win, eliminating the Texas Rangers. Osuna is Box-Toppers Player of the Game.
American League Division Series Game 5: Royals 7, Astros 2
Cueto, who picked up the win, had a Box-Toppers game score of +10.0, highest among all Royals players, as the Royals beat the Astros in the best-of-five game series, 3-2.
During the regular season, Cueto had 12.8 Box-Toppers points, 25th among all players, 13th among AL pitchers.
Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel, ranked fourth among all players in Box-Toppers points (21.4), first among AL pitchers, appeared in relief, pitching the eighth inning (1IP 2H 3R 0K ND). He had a Box-Toppers game score of −8.0.
The Royals had the most regular season Box-Toppers team points in the AL with 127.5, ranked second overall, behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Astros ranked eighth with 118.4.
The Royals face the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series beginning Friday in Kansas City.
American League Division Series Game 5: Blue Jays 6, Rangers 3
Osuna, who picked up the save, had a Box-Toppers game score of +5.2, highest among all Blue Jays players, as the Blue Jays eliminated the Rangers in the best-of-five game series, 3-2.
During the regular season, Osuna had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 268th among all players, 86th among AL pitchers and 14th among AL closing pitchers. He was born Feb. 7, 1995, a couple of months before Box-Toppers record keeping began at the start of the 1995 season.
The Blue Jays ranked fifth in regular season Box-Toppers team rankings (second among AL teams, behind the Royals) with 124.1 Box-Toppers points. The Rangers ranked 10th with 107.2.
The Blue Jays face the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series beginning Friday in Kansas City.
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
| 10/14 | Score | Team | Players | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| POG | 10.0 | Royals | Johnny Cueto (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| POG | 5.2 | Blue Jays | Roberto Osuna (S,1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Coming Thursday, the league division playoff series conclude:
NL Division Series Game 5, Mets at Dodgers, series tied 2-2
The pitching matchup Thursday:
Mets—Jacob deGrom, 22.4 Box-Toppers points, third among all players, third among NL pitchers.
Dodgers—Zack Greinke, 20.7 Box-Toppers points, seventh among all players, fifth among NL pitchers.
The Dodgers hold the slight edge in Box-Toppers team rankings, sixth among all teams, with 122.5 Box-Toppers points. But the Mets are only 0.5 points behind, with 122.0, ranking seventh among all teams. So far this postseason, Box-Toppers’ higher-ranked team has won three of the three concluded league division series. That would give the edge to the Dodgers. But higher-ranked starting pitchers have won 14 of 20 postseason games this season. That would give the edge to deGrom and the Mets
The winner of this game will face the Chicago Cubs in the NL Championship Series beginning Saturday in either New York or Los Angeles.