Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox are Box-Toppers’ top players in Wednesday’s League Championship Series games.
National League Championship Series Game 5: Dodgers 5, Brewers 2
Kershaw is Box-Toppers Player of the Game, striking out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, three hits and two walks, as the Dodgers take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven game series.
Kershaw had 8.0 Box-Toppers points in 2018, 73rd among all players, 34th among NL pitchers. This was his second Player of the Game honor in his third 2018 postseason appearance. He was also Player of the Game in the NLDS Game 2 win over the Braves on Oct. 5.
Kershaw had a Box-Toppers game score Wednesday of +9.0, highest among all Dodgers players. Justin Turner had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+1.0) among Dodgers batters (2-3 R BI).
Wade Miley, who started the game for the Brewers and, in a strategic move, ended up pitching to only one batter, giving up a walk, had a Box-Toppers game score Wednesday of -1.0 (0IP 0H 0R BB 0K ND). His reliever, Brandon Woodruff, who ended up pitching more than half the game but picked up the loss, actually had a positive Box-Toppers game score of +2.1 (5.1IP 5H 3R 2ER BB 8K L).
The series resumes with Game 6 Friday in Milwaukee.
American League Championship Series Game 4: Red Sox 8, Astros 6
Bradley is Box-Toppers Player of the Game for the second straight day, hitting a home run and going 2-for-3, scoring once and driving in two runs. The Red Sox take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven games series.
Bradley had 3.5 Box-Toppers points in 2018, 295th among all players and 65th among AL batters. Bradley is now one of five players—and the only batter—to earn Player of the Game honors more than once this postseason.
Bradley had a Box-Toppers game score Wednesday of +2.0.
Red Sox pitchers fared poorly despite the win. Rick Porcello, who started the game for the Red Sox, had a game worst Box-Toppers game score of -9.0 (4IP 7H 4R BB 3K ND). Joe Kelly, who relieved Porcello and picked up the win, also had a negative game score of -2.0 (1IP 2H R 0BB K W). Closer Craig Kimbrel had a Box-Toppers game score of -4.0 (2IP 2H R 3BB K Sv).
Astros starter Charlie Morton had a Box-Toppers game score of -6.9 (2.1IP 3H 3R BB 5K ND). Astros reliever Josh James, who picked up the loss, had a game score of -2.8 (3.2IP 4H 3R BB 5K L).
The series resumes with Game 5 Thursday in Houston (details below).
Top player from each game
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score (BTG)| BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| +9.0 | LAD 5, MIL 2 | Clayton Kershaw (W, 2‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| +2.0 | BOS 8, HOU 6 | Jackie Bradley CF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
Coming Thursday:
American League Championship Series Game 4, Red Sox lead Astros, 3-1
Red Sox—David Price, 14.4 Box-Toppers points, 18th among all players, 12th among AL pitchers.
This is Price’s third appearance in the 2018 postseason. He has not earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors and has so far not fared well:
Price appeared in the ALDS Game 2 loss against the Yankees (1.2IP 3H 3R 2BB 0K L) on Oct. 6. He had a Box-Toppers game score of -9.8.
Price started in the ALCS Game 2 win over the Astros on Oct. 14, but had the lowest Box-Toppers game score among all players of -8.8 (4.2IP 5H 4R 4BB 4K ND).
Astros—Justin Verlander, 24.1 Box-Toppers points, third among all players, second among AL pitchers.
Verlander has earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in both of his 2018 postseason starts:
Verlander was Player of the Game in the ALDS Game 1 win over the Indians on Oct. 5.
Verlander was Player of the Game in the ALCS Game 1 win over the Red Sox on Oct. 13.
Verlander is one of five players to earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors twice this postseason, along with Kershaw and Bradley, who did it Wednesday. The other two are Brewers pitchers Brandon Woodruff and Jhoulys Chacin.
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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