Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer and Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka are top players in Saturday’s pair of league championship games.
NLCS Game 2: Nationals 3, Cardinals 1
Scherzer is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Game striking out 11 over seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, as Washington takes a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven game National League Championship Series.
Scherzer had 15.4 Box-Toppers points in the regular season, 15th among all players, ninth among NL pitchers. This is Scherzer’s second Player of the Game honor this postseason. He was also Box-Toppers top player in NLDS Game 4 against the Dodgers.
Scherzer had a Box-Toppers game score Saturday of +15.0, highest among Nationals players. Pinch hitter Matt Adams had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+1.0) among Nationals batters (1-1 R 0BI). Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright had a Box-Toppers game score of +4.1 (7.1IP 7H 3R BB 11K L).
The series resumes Monday in Washington with Game 3.
ALCS Game 1: Yankees 7, Astros 0
Tanaka struck out four over six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk, as New York takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven game American League Championship Series.
Tanaka earned 9.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 52nd among all players, 20th among AL pitchers. This is Tanaka’s second Player of the Game honor this postseason. He was also Box-Toppers top player in the ALDS Game 2 win against the Twins.
Tanaka had a Box-Toppers game score Saturday of +8.0, highest among all Yankees. Second baseman Gleyber Torres had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+4.0) among Yankees batters (HR 2B 3-5 R 3BI). Astros starting pitcher Zack Greinke had a Box-Toppers game score of -1.0 (6IP 7H 3R 0BB 6K L).
The series resumes Sunday in Houston with Game 2.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +15.0 | WSH 3, STL 1 | Max Scherzer (W, 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | |
| +8.0 | NYY 7, HOU 0 | Masahiro Tanaka (W, 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
` Pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Coming Sunday:
ALCS Game 2, Yankees lead Astros, 1-0
The pitching matchup Sunday:
Yankees—James Paxton, 14.1 Box-Toppers points, 19th among all players, eighth among AL pitchers.
Paxton started in the AL Division Series Game 1 win against the Twins on Oct. 4, but did not earn Player of the Game honors (that went to DJ LeMahieu).
Astros—Justin Verlander, 27.5 Box-Toppers points, second among all players, second among AL pitchers.
This is Verlander’s third 2019 postseason appearance. He was Player of the Game in the ALDS Game 1 win over the Rays on Oct. 4. He also started in the ALDS Game 4 loss to the Rays on Oct. 8 (Player of the Game was Rays pitcher Nick Anderson).
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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