Braves closing pitcher Will Smith is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Sunday’s National League Championship Series Game 2.
Smith struck out two over one scoreless inning, allowing no hits, no walks and picking up the win, in the 5-4 win over the Dodgers. The Braves take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven game series.
Smith had a Box-Toppers game score Sunday of +3.0, best among all Braves players. Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson had a game score of -5.0 (3IP 3H 2R 3BB 2K ND). Braves top batter was Eddie Rosario with a game score of +1.0 (4-5 R BI). Rosario hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to drive in the winning run.
Dodgers starting pitcher Max Scherzer had a game score of +2.1 in the loss (4.1IP 4H 2R BB 7K ND). Scherzer was Box-Toppers Player of the Year, leading all players during the 2021 regular season with 25.1 Box-Toppers points. Scherzer won Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in eight of his first nine starts for the Dodgers from Aug. 4 to Sept. 18. But now, in six regular and postseason appearances since then, he has failed to win Player of the Game.
Smith earned 6.0 Box-Toppers points in 2021, 147th among all players, 52nd among NL pitchers and fourth among NL closing pitchers. This is his first Player of the Game honor of the 2021 postseason.
The series resumes with Game 3 in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners
Here is the top player from each of the day’s games listed from highest to lowest Box‑Toppers game score (BTG).| BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +3.0 | ATL 5, LAD 4 | Will Smith, (W 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
` Pitcher had a no‑decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Coming Monday:
AL Championship Series Game 3: Astros at Red Sox, series tied, 1-1
Astros—Jose Urquidy, 8.4 Box-Toppers points, 74th among all players, 28th among AL pitchers.
This is Urquidy’s first appearance in the 2021 postseason. He had been scheduled to start AL Division Series Game 4 against the White Sox on Oct. 11, but the game was rained out and postponed.
Red Sox—Eduardo Rodriguez, 10.0 Box-Toppers points, 47th among all players, 17th among AL pitchers.
This is Rodriguez’s third appearance of the 2021 postseason. He was Player of the Game in the ALDS Game 4 win over the Rays on Oct. 11.
Box-Toppers preview of the ALCS from Oct. 14
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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