Cubs closing pitcher Aroldis Chapman is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in World Series Game 5 Sunday.
The Chicago Cubs win 3-2 as the Cleveland Indians maintain a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Chapman pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks, striking out four and earning the save. Chapman had the highest Box-Toppers game score of all Cubs players, +5.2.
This is the second time this postseason Chapman has been Box-Toppers Player of the Game. He was also top player in the National League Division Series Game 4 win vs. the Giants.
Chapman had 7.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 104th among all players, 33rd among NL pitchers and second among NL closers, behind Jeurys Familia of the Mets (8.0).
Starting pitcher Jon Lester had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score among Cubs players, +3.0 (6IP 4H 2R 0BB 5K W). Lester has the highest regular season Box-Toppers point total of any player remaining in the postseason 22.1, ranked fourth among all players, third among NL pitchers.
Kris Bryant had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Cubs batters Sunday, 0.0 (HR 1-3 R BI).
Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer had a Box-Toppers game score of −1.0 (4IP 6H 3R 0BB 7K L).
Monday is a travel day in the World Series. Game 6 is Tuesday in Cleveland.
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.
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Top Cubs in World Series Game 5: Cubs 3, Indians 2
Here are the Box-Toppers game scores of all Cubs who played in World Series Game 5 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score.
| BTG | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| 5.2 | * Aroldis Chapman (S,4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3.0 | Jon Lester (W,3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| 0.0 | Kris Bryant, 3B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 0.0 | David Ross, C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 0.0 | Carl Edwards Jr., P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -0.9 | Carl Edwards Jr. (H,3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| -1.0 | Addison Russell, SS | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -1.0 | Anthony Rizzo, 1B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -1.0 | Ben Zobrist, LF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -1.0 | a-Miguel Montero, PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -1.0 | Aroldis Chapman, P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -1.0 | Willson Contreras, C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -2.0 | Jon Lester, P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -3.0 | Jason Heyward, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -3.0 | Javier Baez, 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| -3.0 | Dexter Fowler, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| * Player of the Game | ||||||||||||||
| BTG: Box-Toppers game score | ||||||||||||||
Coming Tuesday in Cleveland:
World Series Game 6, Indians lead Cubs in series, 3-2
The pitching matchup Tuesday:
Cubs—Jake Arrieta, 15.7 Box-Toppers points, ninth among all players, sixth among NL pitchers. Arrieta was Player of the Game in World Series Game 2.
Indians—Josh Tomlin, 5.0 Box-Toppers points, 202nd among all players, 63rd among American League pitchers. Tomlin was Player of the Game in the American League Championship Series Game 2 vs. the Blue Jays.
On paper, the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Arrieta outmatches Tomlin. In addition, Arrieta is pitching on five days rest having last pitched and won in Game 2. Tomlin is pitching on short rest, just three days, after having 58 pitches over 4 2/3 innings in Game 3 Friday.
But Tomlin was also outmatched in his Game 3 start vs. Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs (13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 17th) and the Indians still prevailed, 1-0, thanks to the Indians bullpen aces Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.
Box-Toppers World Series preview
Box-Toppers 2016 final team rankings
Box-Toppers 2016 final top 10 player rankings
Box-Toppers point totals of all Cubs players active at season’s end
Box-Toppers point totals of all Indians players active at season’s end
Game 5 narrative via Box-Toppers Twitter feed
Here are real-time tweets from Box-Toppers Wednesday as World Series Game 5 progressed:
#WorldSeries #Game5 starters:#Indians Trevor Bauer 11.4 Box-Toppers pts, rank 34th,#Cubs Jon Lester 22.1, rank 4thhttps://t.co/gxGEmzPHbF
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 30, 2016
Jose Ramirez #Indians takes early lead as Box-Toppers Player of Game in #WorldSeries #Game5, (solo HR, B-T game score +2). CLE 1, CHC 0 T2.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
Trevor Bauer #Indians assumes lead as Box-Toppers Player of Game #WorldSeries #Game5 (3IP H 0R 0BB 5K, B-T game score +6). CLE 1, CHC 0 E3.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
#Cubs take lead in #WorldSeries #Game5, 2-1 B4.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
Box-Toppers Player of the Game leader:
Jon Lester (4IP H R 0BB 3K, B-T game score +4).
Jon Lester #Cubs extends Box-Toppers Player of the Game lead in #WorldSeries #Game 5 (5IP 2H R 0BB 4K, B-T game score +5). CHC 3, CLE 1 M5.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
Trevor Bauer #Indians exits #WorldSeries #Game5 (4IP 6H 3R 0BB 7K, Box-Toppers gm score -1). CHC 3, CLE 1, B5. Lester leads as Player of Gm.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
Jon Lester #Cubs maintains Box-Toppers Player of Game lead in #WorldSeries #Game 5 (6IP 4H 2R 0BB 5K, B-T game score +3). CHC 3, CLE 2 M6.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
Jon Lester #Cubs exits #WorldSeries #Game 5 leading as Box-Toppers Player of Game (6IP 4H 2R 0BB 5K, B-T game score +3). CHC 3, CLE 2, T7.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
If Chapman #Cubs holds on & earns save, he'd likely be Box-Toppers Player of Gm in #WorldSeries #Game5 (1.2IP H 0R 3K, B-T gm score +3.2).
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
#Cubs 3, #Indians 2 B8
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016
Box-Toppers Player of the Game leaders (B-T game scores)
Chapman +3.2
Lester +3.0
Bryant 0.0#WorldSeries #Game5
Aroldis Chapman #Cubs (2.2IP H 0R 4K Sv) is Box-Toppers Player of Game in #WorldSeries #Game5 win, 3-2, vs. #Indians. CLE leads series, 3-2.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 31, 2016