Despite bad week, St. Louis Cardinals still top Box-Toppers team rankings

Despite being the Major League's most lackluster team of the week, the St. Louis Cardinals are still atop Box-Toppers team rankings for the eighth straight week. 

The Cardinals picked up only 1.0 Box-Toppers point over the week, but still have accumulated 63.2 points, the most of any team this season. 

However, their lead narrowed over the second-place team, the Boston Red Sox. Last week, the Cards led by 8.2 points and this week they lead by 4.2 points. The Red Sox picked up 5.0 Box-Toppers points over the week and have 59.0 for the season. 

The top team for the week, the Los Angeles Dodgers, picked up 8.9 points in the past week, giving them 45.6 points for the season, putting them in 16th place overall. 

The Dodgers and last week's top team, the Toronto Blue Jays were Box-Toppers' preseason World Series picks. Both teams started slow but have improved in June. The Blue Jays, with 46.5 points, are now in 15th place overall. 

The Texas Rangers were the American League's top team of the week, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points, giving them 55.6 for the season. They jump from seventh to fourth in team rankings.

Box-Toppers' top team, the Cardinals, are tied with the Pirates for the best winning percentage in baseball at .615. The Pirates, however, are in sixth place in Box-Toppers rankings. The Cardinals are led by pitchers Shelby Miller (11.4 Box-Toppers points), Lance Lynn (9.4) and Adam Wainwright (8.7).

Box-Toppers' top AL team, the Red Sox, also have the best winning percentage in the AL, .593. The Red Sox are led by pitcher Clay Buchholz (10.1 Box-Toppers points), designated hitter David Ortiz (5.2) and pitcher Jon Lester (4.7). 

627	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	63.2	1.0	1
2	Red Sox	59.0	5.0	2
3	Tigers	56.2	2.7	4
4	Rangers	55.6	6.5	7
5	Reds	55.6	2.0	3
6	Pirates	55.3	5.0	5
7	Athletics	54.2	4.0	6
8	Nationals	51.5	4	9
9	Indians	51.3	4.5	10
10	Braves	49.9	2.0	8

Rangers' Derek Holland (CG 0R 2H) is top player for Thursday, June 27

Rangers pitcher Derek Holland is Thursday's Player of the Day. Holland threw a complete game, two-hit shutout in the 2-0 win over the Yankees.

Cubs pitcher Matt Garza is National League Player of the Day. Garza struck out 10 over seven innings and gave up only one run in the 7-2 win over the Brewers. 

Ryan Flaherty of the Orioles is American League Batter of the Day. Flaherty went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs in the 7-3 win over the Indians.  This was Flaherty's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he was named Player of the Game. He is the 3,211th player to debut since Box-Toppers began in 1995.

Matt Kemp of the Dodgers is NL Player of the Day. Kemp was 2-for-4 in the 6-4 win over the Phillies.

Standings update: Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin rises to second place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see updated top 10 list on the home page).  Corbin (7IP 6K ND) was Player of the Game in the 11-inning, 3-2 win over the Nationals. Corbin earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.4 for the season. He now leads all NL pitchers in Box-Toppers points and trails only Indians pitcher Justin Masterson, who has 11.7 Box-Toppers points.

Holland receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Garza receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Flaherty and Kemp each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

627	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Derek Holland (W, 6-4)	9.0	2	0	0	2	7
NL	6.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Garza (W, 3-1)	7.0	8	1	1	1	10
	5.0	`Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jered Weaver	7.0	4	1	1	2	6
	3.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Koji Uehara (S, 3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			LaTroy Hawkins (W, 3-1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	2.0	Orioles	Ryan Flaherty 2B, 3B	3	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Patrick Corbin	7.0	5	2	2	2	6
	2.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Samuel Deduno (W, 4-2)	7.0	5	1	1	1	3
BAT	1.0	Dodgers	Matt Kemp CF	4	2	2	1	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Athletics' A.J. Griffin, Blue Jays' R.A. Dickey both throw 2-hit shutouts; Griffin wins top player honor for Wednesday, June 26

Athletics pitcher A.J. Griffin is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Griffin pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout in the 5-0 win over the Reds.

Griffin and Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey (top player in the 3-0 win over the Rays) had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 12.0. Both pitched complete game, two-hit shutouts. But Griffin won Player of the Day honors by virtue of the fact that he struck out more batters than Dickey—Griffin struck out seven and Dickey struck out six. Despite the small difference in strikeouts, Griffin earns twice as many Box-Toppers points as Dickey—Griffin earns 2.0 for being Player of the Day, while Dickey gets 1.0 for being Player of the Game.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is National League Player of the Day. Kershaw struck out seven over eight innings in the 4-2 win over the Giants. Kershaw rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see top 10 standings on the home page). Kershaw picks up 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season.

Adrian Beltre of the Rangers is American League Batter of the Day. Beltre went 3-for-5 with two doubles in the 8-5 win over the Yankees.

Delmon Young of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Young hit a two-run home run and went 2-for-4 in the 7-5 win over the Padres. 

Standings update: Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann rises to sixth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see top 10 standings on the home page). Zimmermann (7IP 2R) was Player of the Game in the 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 10.7 for the season.

Griffin receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kershaw receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Beltre and Young each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

626	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Griffin (W, 6-6)	9.0	2	0	0	2	7
	12.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			R.A. Dickey (W, 7-8)	9.0	2	0	0	1	6
	8.0	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Kazmir	7.0	1	1	0	1	4
	7.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Lackey (W, 5-5)	7.0	8	2	2	0	12
NL	6.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw (W, 6-5)	8.0	4	2	2	1	7
	4.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shaun Marcum (W, 1-9)	8.0	4	0	0	2	2
	4.0	`Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeanmar Gomez	5.0	3	1	0	2	5
	2.2	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luis Mendoza	6.2	5	2	2	1	6
BAT	2.0	Rangers	Adrian Beltre 3B	5	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Angels	Mike Trout CF, LF	5	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Phillies	Delmon Young RF	4	2	2	2	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Marlins	Placido Polanco 3B	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Zimmermann (W, 11-3)	7.0	3	2	2	2	4
	2.0	`Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Cisnero (H, 4)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2
	0.0	Cubs	Anthony Rizzo 1B	4	0	2	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

White Sox' Chris Sale (8IP 13K) tops players for Tuesday, June 25, rises to 4th place in Box-Toppers points

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is Tuesday's Player of the Day and rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points.

Sale struck out 13 over eight innings but earned no decision in the 5-4 win over the Mets. Sale earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page). 

Rickie Weeks of the Brewers is National League Player of the Day. Weeks homered twice, drove in four runs and went 3-for-4 in the 9-3 win over the Cubs. 

Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Pedroia went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs in the 11-4 win over the Rockies. 

Sale receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Weeks receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Pedroia receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

625	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	`White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Sale	8.0	4	3	3	2	13
NL	6.0	Brewers	Rickie Weeks 2B	4	3	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Moore (W, 10-3)	6.0	4	1	1	6	11
	4.0	Cardinals	Allen Craig LF	5	2	4	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Red Sox	Dustin Pedroia 2B	5	2	3	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Angels	J.B. Shuck LF	5	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Pirates	Brandon Inge RF	3	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Ramos (W, 2-2)	2.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Nationals	Adam LaRoche 1B	4	1	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Kendrick (W, 7-4)	8.0	7	2	2	0	6
	2.0	Braves	Jason Heyward RF	4	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Orioles	Alexi Casilla 2B	3	1	1	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.2	`Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hiroki Kuroda	6.2	5	3	2	1	6
	1.0	Dodgers	Hanley Ramirez SS	4	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Rays' Jeremy Hellickson, Dodgers' Kenley Jansen top players for Monday, June 24

Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson is Monday's Player of the Day. Hellickson threw seven shutout innings and gave up only one hit in the 4-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen is National League Player of the Day. Jansen earned the save, pitching one inning and struck out three in the 3-1 win over the Giants. 

Kyle Blanks of the Padres is NL Batter of the Day. Blanks went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs in the 4-3 win over the Phillies. 

Michael Brantley of the Indians is American League Batter of the Day. Brantley homered and drove in four runs in the 5-2 win over the Orioles. 

Hellickson receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Jansen receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Blanks and Brantley each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

Only four games were played Monday and all four Players of the Game received bonus points. Here are Monday's results:

624	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	6.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeremy Hellickson (W, 6-3)	7.0	1	0	0	4	4
NL	4.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kenley Jansen (S, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Padres	Kyle Blanks RF	5	1	4	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	4	1	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Reds' Mat Latos, Cubs' Anthony Rizzo top players for Sunday, June 23

Reds pitcher Mat Latos is Sunday's Player of the Day. Latos struck out 13 and gave up one run over 7 2/3 innings in the 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. Rizzo homered, drove in four runs and went 3-for-3 in the 14-6 win over the Astros. 

Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays is American League Player of the Day. Encarnacion homered, drove in four runs and went 3-for-5 in the 13-5 win over the Orioles. 

Standings update: Mets pitcher Mat Harvey rises to third place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Harvey (6IP 0R 6K) was Player of the Game in the 8-0 win over the Phillies. Harvey earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.0 for the season.

Latos receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Encarnacion receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Rizzo receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Sunday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

623	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.2	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mat Latos (W, 7-1)	7.2	6	1	1	2	13
	9.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Harvey (W, 7-1)	6.0	2	0	0	1	6
BAT	8.0	Cubs	Anthony Rizzo 1B	3	4	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Capuano	5.0	4	0	0	0	5
AL	4.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion DH	5	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rockies	Michael Cuddyer RF	4	1	3	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Braves	Brian McCann C	4	1	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Mariners	Kendrys Morales PH	1	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Fernando Rodney (S, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Pirates	Russell Martin PH, C	2	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Tigers	Austin Jackson CF	2	3	2	0	3	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nathan Eovaldi (W, 1-0)	6.0	4	2	2	2	7
	3.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Greg Holland (S, 16)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	1.2	`Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Nick Tepesch	5	4	1	1	2	4
	1.0	Twins	Joe Mauer DH, C	4	3	2	0	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Dodgers' Zack Greinke, Tigers' Victor Martinez top players for Saturday, June 22

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is Saturday's Player of the Day. Greinke struck out eight over eight innings and allowed only one run in the 6-1 win over the Padres.

Victor Martinez of the Tigers is American League Player of the Day. Martinez hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 10-3 win over the Red Sox. 

Ryan Howard of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Howard hit two home runs and drove in four runs in the 8-7 win over the Mets. 

Standings update: Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers season points standings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Corbin (8IP 1R ND) was Player of the Game in the 4-3 win over the Reds. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 10.4 for the season.

Greinke receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Martinez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Howard receives 1.5 for being NL  Batter of the Day.

All of Saturday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

622	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke (W, 4-2)	8.0	4	1	1	1	8
AL	7.0	Tigers	Victor Martinez DH	3	3	2	5	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	5.0	Phillies	Ryan Howard 1B	4	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.2	`Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Donovan Hand	4.2	2	0	0	1	3
	4.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Patrick Corbin	8.0	3	1	1	4	5
	4.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jhoulys Chacin (W, 6-3)	7.0	5	0	0	1	3
	3.2	`Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Sergio Romo	1.2	1	0	0	0	3
	3.1	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chien-Ming Wang	6.1	4	1	0	0	2
	3.0	Indians	Michael Bourn CF	4	1	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Yankees	Zoilo Almonte LF	2	1	1	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Veras (S, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Nathan (S, 24)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.1	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yoervis Medina (W, 2-2)	2.1	3	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Pirates	Gaby Sanchez 1B	4	2	2	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	White Sox	Jeff Keppinger 2B	3	0	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Nats' Stephen Strasburg, White Sox' Hector Santiago top players for Friday, June 21

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is Friday's Player of the Day. Strasburg struck out nine and gave up only one run over seven innings in the 2-1 win over the Rockies.

White Sox pitcher Hector Santiago is American League Player of the Day. Santiago gave up one run over eight innings in the 9-1 win over the Royals. 

Shane Victorino of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Victorino homered, drove in five runs and went 4-for-5 in the 10-6 win over the Tigers. 

Chris Denorfia of the Padres is National League Batter of the Day. Denorfia homered and went 2-for-2 in the 5-2 win over the Dodgers. 

Strasburg receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Santiago receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Victorino and Denorfia each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Friday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

621	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Stephen Strasburg (W, 4-6)	7.0	5	1	1	0	9
	8.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Garza (W, 2-1)	8.0	4	1	1	2	8
AL	7.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hector Santiago (W, 3-5)	8.0	3	1	1	1	5
	7.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Kazmir (W, 4-4)	7.0	5	1	1	0	7
BAT	5.0	Red Sox	Shane Victorino RF	5	1	4	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wily Peralta (W, 5-8)	7.0	2	0	0	4	4
	4.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	4	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Padres	Chris Denorfia RF, LF	2	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Diamondbacks	Jason Kubel LF	5	3	4	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Pirates	Jordy Mercer SS	4	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Blue Jays	Munenori Kawasaki SS	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bobby Parnell (S, 12)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Marlins	Logan Morrison 1B	5	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Yankees	Zoilo Almonte LF	4	1	3	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rangers	Elvis Andrus SS	3	1	1	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Indians' Justin Masterson tops Box-Toppers rankings, Cards' Miller, Tigers' Cabrera, Rockies' Gonzalez among points leaders

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson leads all players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season with 11.7 points.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller, who leads among all National League players, is in second place overall with 11.4 points. 

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, who led all players in the last Player Rankings report two weeks ago, is in third place overall with 10.7 points. He still leads among American League batters.

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies, who ranks at eighth place overall, is the leader among NL batters with 9.5 points.  Previous leader among NL batters, Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks, is now in second place with 8.7 points.

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work? 

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	11.7
2	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	11.4
3	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	10.7
4	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	10.1
5	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	10.0
6	Zimmermann, Jordan 2612	pi sp	dc nl	9.7
7	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	9.7
8	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	9.5
9	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	9.4
10	Lee, Cliff 1798	pi sp	phi nl	9.4
	AL PITCHERS
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	11.7
2	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	10.1
3	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	9.7
4	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	9.0
5	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	8.7
6	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	8.7
7	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	8.7
8	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	7.7
9	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	7.0
10	Cobb, Alex 2916	pi sp	tb al	6.7
	AL BATTERS
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	10.7
2	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	6.0
3	Butler, Billy 2330	dh	kc al	5.5
4	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	ca	tor al	5.5
5	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	5.2
6	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	4.5
7	Johnson, Kelly 2018	lf	tb al	4.5
8	Nava, Daniel 2740	rf lf dh	bos al	4.5
9	Drew, Stephen 2210	ss	bos al	4.5
10	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf	cle al	4.5
	NL PITCHERS
1	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	11.4
2	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	10.0
3	Zimmermann, Jordan 2612	pi sp	dc nl	9.7
4	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	9.4
5	Lee, Cliff 1798	pi sp	phi nl	9.4
6	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	9.4
7	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	9.0
8	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	8.7
9	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	7.7
10	Minor, Mike 2894	pi sp	atl nl	7.0
	NL BATTERS
1	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	9.5
2	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	8.7
3	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	5.9
4	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	5.2
5	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	5.2
6	Phillips, Brandon 1691	2b	cin nl	5.0
7	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	5.0
8	Pollock, A.J. 3142	cf	ari nl	4.7
9	Freese, David 2710	3b	stl nl	4.5
10	Posey, Buster 2745	ca	sf nl	4.5

BTP: Box-Toppers points

St. Louis Cardinals widen dominant lead in Box-Toppers team rankings

The St. Louis Cardinals, atop Box-Toppers team rankings for the seventh straight week, are widening their already dominant lead.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points for the season (62.2) and lead the second-place Boston Red Sox (54.0 points) by 8.2 points.

The top team for the week, the Toronto Blue Jays, picked up 7.7 points in the past week, giving them 41.8 for the season, putting them in 16th place overall. 

The Cardinals, which also have the best record in the Majors (47-26) are led by pitcher Shelby Miller (11.4 Box-Toppers points), Lance Lynn (9.4) and Adam Wainwright (8.7). 

The Red Sox, which also have the best record in the American League (44-31) are led by pitcher Clay Buchholz (10.1 Box-Toppers points), designated hitter David Ortiz (5.2) and pitcher Jon Lester (4.7). 

620	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	62.2	5.2	1
2	Red Sox	54.0	4.0	2
3	Reds	53.6	4.7	3
4	Tigers	53.5	4.7	4
5	Pirates	50.3	4.5	6
6	Athletics	50.2	2.5	5
7	Rangers	49.1	3.5	7
8	Braves	47.9	4.0	8
9	Nationals	47.5	4.0	10
10	Indians	46.8	5.0	Not ranked

BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.

BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday.

Nats' Jordan Zimmermann (8IP 9K) tops players for Thursday, June 20

Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is Thursday's Player of the Day. Zimmerman struck out nine over eight innings in the 5-1 win over the Rockies.

Zimmermann rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player season standings (see updated top 10 list on the home page). Zimmermann earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season.

Tigers closing pitcher Drew Smyly is American League Player of the Day. Smyly struck out four in two innings and earned the win in the 4-3 win over the Red Sox.

Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Alvarez homered, drove in all of his team's five runs and went 3-for-4 in the 5-3 win over the Reds. 

Evan Longoria of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Longoria hit two homers in the 8-3 win over the Yankees. 

Standings update: Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player season standings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Lynn (6IP 1R) was Player of the Game in the 6-1 win over the Cubs. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers for being Player of the Game, giving him 9.4 for the season.

Zimmermann receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Smyly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Alvarez and Longoria each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

620	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Zimmermann (W, 10-3)	8.0	6	1	0	1	9
BAT	5.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	4	1	3	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn (W, 10-1)	6.0	3	1	1	2	6
AL	5.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Drew Smyly (W, 3-0)	2.0	1	0	0	0	4
BAT	4.0	Rays	Evan Longoria 3B	3	2	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Mets	David Wright 3B	4	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Angels	Peter Bourjos CF	4	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Pedro Ciriaco SS	4	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Twins	Oswaldo Arcia RF, LF	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Marlins	Marcell Ozuna PH	1	0	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez 3B	4	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rangers	Ian Kinsler DH	3	1	1	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

D-backs' Josh Collmenter tops players for Wednesday, June 19

Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Collmenter struck out seven over six scoreless innings of relief in the 3-1 win over the Marlins. Collmenter left with the game tied and so was not eligible for the win.

Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson is American League Player of the Day. Wilson pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits, in the 1-0 win over the Mariners. 

Chris Davis of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Davis hit two home runs, drove in five and went 3-for-5 in the 13-3 win over the Tigers. 

Collmenter receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Wilson receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Davis receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day. No NL batter was Player of the Game Wednesday, so no NL batter receives bonus points.

All of Wednesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

619	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Josh Collmenter	6.0	1	0	0	1	7
	10.0	`Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gio Gonzalez	7.0	2	2	2	2	11
	7.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Capuano (W, 2-4)	6.0	3	0	0	0	4
AL	6.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			C.J. Wilson (W, 6-5)	7.0	2	0	0	2	3
BAT	5.0	Orioles	Chris Davis DH	5	2	3	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Yankees	Ichiro Suzuki RF	4	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	3	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Madison Bumgarner (W, 7-4)	7.0	3	2	2	4	8
	4.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 4-7)	7.0	6	3	1	0	7
	4.0	`Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tony Cingrani	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.2	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kevin Correia (W, 6-4)	6.2	5	2	2	0	6
	3.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Westbrook (W, 3-2)	7.0	2	1	0	3	2
	2.0	Rangers	Leonys Martin CF	3	2	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Axford (W, 3-3)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Rays	Desmond Jennings CF	4	2	2	1	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Blue Jays	Adam Lind 1B	4	1	1	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Red Sox' Felix Doubront, Phillies' Cliff Lee, Mets' Matt Harvey top players for Tuesday, June 18

Red Sox pitcher Felix Doubront is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Doubront pitched eight shutout innings and gave up only three hits (but earned no decision) in the 3-1 win over the Rays.

Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee is National League Player of the Day. Lee struck out nine over eight innings in the 4-2 win over the Nationals. Lee rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season (see the current top 10 standings on the home page). Lee earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for NL Player of the Day, giving him 9.4 for the season.

Matt Dominguez of the Astros is American League Batter of the Day. Dominguez hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 10-1 win over the Brewers. 

Standings update: Mets pitcher Matt Harvey rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season (see the updated top 10 list).  Harvey (7IP 13K) was Player of the Game in the 4-3 win over the Braves, earning 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season.

Doubront receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lee receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Dominguez receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day. No NL batter was Player of the Game Tuesday, so no NL batter receives bonus points.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

618	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Felix Doubront	8.0	3	0	0	0	6
NL	8.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 9-2)	8.0	5	2	2	0	9
	8.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Harvey (W, 6-1)	7.0	3	3	3	3	13
	7.0	`Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Cain	7.0	6	2	2	0	10
BAT	5.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez 3B	3	1	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.1	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Charlie Morton (W, 1-1)	5.1	3	0	0	0	2
	4.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Wheeler (W, 1-0)	6.0	4	0	0	5	7
	3.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion 1B	4	2	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Glen Perkins (S, 17)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.1	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Samardzija (W, 4-7)	8.1	7	2	2	1	6
	2.0	Orioles	J.J. Hardy SS	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jarrod Parker (W, 6-6)	7.0	3	2	2	2	4
	2.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yoervis Medina (S, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Hernandez (W, 3-4)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Red Sox	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	5	3	3	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Indians	Mike Aviles SS	4	1	2	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Blue Jays' Josh Johnson tops players for Monday, June 17; Cardinals' Shelby Miller rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers points

Blue Jays pitcher Josh Johnson is Monday's Player of the Day. Johnson struck out 10 over 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the 2-0 win over the Rockies. Johnson, however, exited with the game tied, so earned no decision.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller is National League Player of the Day and rises to second place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see updated player standings on the home page). Miller pitched five shutout innings in the 5-2 win over the Cubs. Miller, already leader in Box-Toppers points among NL pitchers, earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 11.4 for the season. He trails only points leader Justin Masterson of the Indians, who has 11.7 points.

Nelson Cruz of the Rangers is American League Batter of the Day. Cruz hit two home runs, drove in four and went 3-for-4 in the 8-7 win over the Athletics. 

Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Stanton hit two home runs and drove in all three of his team's runs in the 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Johnson receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Miller receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cruz and Stanton each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Monday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

617	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.1	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Josh Johnson	7.1	5	0	0	2	10
	7.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Vargas (W, 6-4)	7.0	4	2	2	1	9
NL	6.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shelby Miller (W, 8-4)	5.0	2	0	0	2	5
	6.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Drew Smyly (S, 2)	3.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	5.0	Rangers	Nelson Cruz RF	4	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.2	`White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jesse Crain (H, 18)	1.2	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	4	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Phillies	Ryan Howard 1B	3	1	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nick Vincent (W, 1-0)	2.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aroldis Chapman (S, 18)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2
	1.2	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aaron Crow (W, 3-2)	0.2	1	0	0	0	2

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Indians' Corey Kluber tops players for Sunday, June 16; Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez now season leader among NL batters

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is Sunday's Player of the Day. Kluber struck out eight over eight shutout innings in the 2-0 win over the Nationals.

Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon is National League Player of the Day. Simon earned a three-inning save, striking out six, in the 5-1 win over the Brewers. 

Josh Reddick of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Reddick homered and went 4-for-5 in the 10-2 win over the Mariners. 

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. Gonzalez homered and went 2-for-4 in the 5-2 win over the Phillies. With the Batter of the Day honor, Gonzalez rises to sixth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see updated top 10 standings on the home page).  Gonzalez earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for the honor, giving him 9.5 points for the season. He becomes the top NL batter in Box-Toppers points, passing Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks (8.7). In addition, Gonzalez already has more Box-Toppers points this season than he did in 2012 (9.2).

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Simon receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Reddick and Gonzalez each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Sunday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

616	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Corey Kluber (W, 5-4)	8.0	7	0	0	0	8
NL	7.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alfredo Simon (S, 1)	3.0	2	0	0	0	6
	6.2	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Doug Fister (W, 6-4)	7.2	2	2	2	2	7
	6.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran (W, 5-3)	6.0	7	0	0	1	8
	5.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ricky Nolasco (W, 4-7)	7.0	3	1	1	1	4
BAT	3.0	Athletics	Josh Reddick RF	5	2	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chien-Ming Wang (W, 1-0)	7.0	7	0	0	2	5
	2.0	Orioles	Nick Markakis RF	5	3	4	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Rockies	Carlos Gonzalez LF	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Pirates	Garrett Jones 1B	3	1	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Yankees	Travis Hafner DH	3	1	1	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF	3	1	1	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar SS	4	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Astros	Jason Castro DH	4	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Padres	Kyle Blanks 1B	4	1	1	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Mariners' Felix Hernandez, Cubs' Scott Feldman top players for Saturday, June 15

Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez is Saturday's Player of the Day. Hernandez pitched seven shutout innings and struck out eight in the 4-0 win over the Athletics.

Hernandez rises to 10th place among players in Box-Toppers standings for the 2013 season (see updated standings on the home page). Hernandez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 8.7 for the season. 

Cubs pitcher Scott Feldman is National League Player of the Day. Feldman struck out six over seven innings in the 5-2 win over the Mets. 

Trevor Plouffe of the Twins is American League Batter of the Day. Plouffe hit a two-run homer and went 3-for-3 in the 6-3 win over the Tigers. 

David Freese of the Cardinals is NL Batter of the Day. Freese homered and went 3-for-4 in the 13-7 win over the Marlins. 

Standings update: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw rises to seventh place among players in Box-Toppers standings for the 2013 season. Kershaw (7IP 8K ND) was Player of the Game in the 5-3 win over the Pirates. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 9.0 for the season. 

Hernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Feldman receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Plouffe and Freese each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Saturday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

615	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Felix Hernandez (W, 8-4)	7.0	5	0	0	1	8
NL	8.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Feldman (W, 6-5)	7.0	2	1	1	1	6
	7.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw	7.0	3	1	1	3	8
	6.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yovani Gallardo (W, 6-6)	6.0	3	0	0	2	5
	5.2	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Torres (W, 2-0)	1.2	0	0	0	0	4
BAT	5.0	Twins	Trevor Plouffe 3B	3	2	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.1	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tommy Hanson (W, 4-2)	6.1	5	2	2	1	8
BAT	4.0	Cardinals	David Freese 3B	4	3	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rockies	Wilin Rosario C	4	3	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Braves	B.J. Upton CF	4	3	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Yasmani Grandal C	2	1	1	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Blue Jays	Adam Lind 1B	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	Chad Tracy PH, DH	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Veras (S, 13)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2
	1.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes LF	4	2	2	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Giants' Madison Bumgarner tops players for Friday, June 14; Indians' Justin Masterson regains Box-Toppers points lead

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is Friday's Player of the Day and Indians pitcher Justin Masterson regained the Box-Toppers season points lead among players.

Bumgarner struck out 10 and allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings in the 6-0 win over the Braves. 

Masterson meanwhile passed Miguel Cabrera atop Box-Toppers points standings as he earned Player of the Game honors in the 2-1 win over the Nationals. Masterson struck out 10 over seven innings and left with a no-decision. He earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.7 for the season.  (See updated list of Top 10 players for 2013 on the home page.)

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is American League Player of the Day. Buehrle struck out seven over seven scoreless innings in the 8-0 win over the Rangers.

Freddy Galvis of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Galvis hit two triples and drove in four runs in the 8-7 win over the Rockies. 

Billy Butler of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Butler went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs in the 7-2 win over the Rays. 

Bumgarner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buehrle receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Galvis and Butler each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Friday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

614	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Madison Bumgarner (W, 6-4)	7.0	2	0	0	1	10
AL	9.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Buehrle (W, 3-4)	7.0	4	0	0	1	7
	9.0	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Masterson	7.0	2	1	1	4	10
	9.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rick Porcello (W, 4-3)	7.0	3	0	0	0	5
	9.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Locke (W, 6-1)	7.0	2	0	0	1	5
	7.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Eric Stults (W, 6-5)	9.0	2	1	1	1	3
	5.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Erik Bedard (W, 2-3)	6.0	3	1	0	3	6
	4.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Fernandez (W, 4-3)	7.0	6	3	2	2	10
MLB	3.0	Phillies	Freddy Galvis SS	5	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Edwin Jackson (W, 3-8)	6.0	5	1	1	3	7
	3.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ernesto Frieri (S, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	`Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aroldis Chapman	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Saunders (W, 5-6)	7.0	5	1	1	2	4
	2.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Tillman (W, 7-2)	6.0	3	0	0	4	3
MLB	1.0	Royals	Billy Butler DH	4	0	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, Reds' Brandon Phillips among leaders in All-Star voting and Box-Toppers standings

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and Brandon Phillips of the Reds are among players who are leaders both in fan All-Star voting and Box-Toppers standings.

In fact, Box-Toppers standings roughly coincide with about half of the players currently leading in All-Star voting.

Major League Baseball released All-Star vote standings for the National League on June 9 and released American League standings on June 3. The current leaders by league and by position are listed in the far right columns in the chart below. Note that five of the players currently leading in All-Star voting also rank first in their position in the league in Box-Toppers points. Three others rank second.

Overall, it's either a very good showing by fans or a decent affirmation of Box-Toppers' worth as a measure of player performance. Or it could be that we're all wrong.

Fans and Box-Toppers generally agree on these players: 

• AL 1B: Chris Davis of the Orioles.
• AL 2B: Robinson Cano of the Yankees. 
• AL 3B: Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers. 
• AL CA: Joe Mauer of the Twins. (Mauer ranks second among AL catchers in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season, but leads among AL catchers when both the 2012 and 2013 seasons are combined.)  
• AL OF: Mike Trout of the Angels. (Trout ranks seventh among AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season, but leads among AL outfielders over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.) 
• AL DH: David Oritz of the Red Sox. 
• NL 1B: Brandon Phillips of the Reds. 
• NL CA: Buster Posey of the Giants. (Posey is second to Brian McCann of the Braves in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season and the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons, but it is a pretty close race.) 
• NL OF: Bryce Harper of the Nationals. (Harper is second among NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season.) 

There are a few instances in which Box-Toppers ranked a player lower than fans: 

• AL SS: Elvis Andrus of the Rangers ranks ninth in Box-Toppers points among AL shortstops for the 2013 season. He has 1.0 point this season and only 2.0 the past two seasons. 
• AL OF: Adam Jones of the Orioles ranks 13th in Box-Toppers points among AL outfielders.
• AL OF: Torii Hunter of the Angels ranks 55th in Box-Toppers among AL outfielders. Though Hunter has scored no Box-Toppers points this season, he ranks second among AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points over the period of 2008-2013.
• NL 1B: Joey Votto of the Reds ranks 10th in Box-Toppers points among NL first basemen. 
• NL SS: Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies ranks fifth among NL shortstops. 
• NL 3B: Pablo Sandoval of the Giants ranks seventh among NL third basemen. 
• NL OF: Justin Upton of the Braves ranks 20th among NL outfielders. 
• NL OF: Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals ranks 28th among NL outfielders.

There are only a few obvious snubs by Box-Toppers measures, but there are still a couple of weeks before All-Star voting closes to fix the problems:

• NL 1B: Should be Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks. Goldschmidt leads all NL batters in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season with 8.7. He leads NL first basemen in Box-Toppers points for 2013 and over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. He is second among NL first basemen in All-Star voting with over 900,000 votes, more than 600,000 behind Votto.
• NL SS: Should be Everth Cabrera of the Padres. Cabrera leads NL shortstops in Box-Toppers points for 2013 and over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. He's not in the top five among NL shortstops in All-Star voting.
• NL OF: Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies should be among the top three. He is currently seventh in All-Star voting with 955,000—Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals, currently third in voting among NL outfielders, has 1,550,000. Gonzalez leads all NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for both the 2013 season and the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.
• NL CA: Buster Posey leads in fan voting, but Brian McCann of the Braves has very narrow Box-Toppers points leads over Posey. But it hardly matters since Posey has nearly 2 million fan votes and McCann has barely 500,000.

The chart below shows Box-Toppers points leaders by position so far through the 2013 season. The middle columns look at players over the longer run, seeing who is leading in Box-Toppers points for the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. And the far right columns show the current All-Star fan vote leaders, with their rank by position in Box-Toppers points in the 2013 season.

The chart also includes Box-Toppers points leaders among starting, middle and relief closing pitchers, even though fans don't get to vote on those.

Voting for the All-Star game is open until July 4.

Here is how the Box-Toppers All-Star teams stand as of today: 

	2013 SEASON				2012-13 SEASONS				ALL-STAR VOTE LEADERS
AL	PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	RANK BY POS.
First base	Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	4.5		Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	16.5		Chris Davis	bal al	1
Second base	Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	4.5		Kipnis, Jason 2933	cle al	9.5		Robinson Cano	nyy al	1
Shortstop	Drew, Stephen 2210	bos al	4.5		Escobar, Yunel 2331	tb al	10		Elvis Andrus	tex al	9
Third base	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	10.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	22.4		Miguel Cabrera	det al	1
Catcher	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	tor al	5.5		Mauer, Joe 1869	min al	13		Joe Mauer	min al	2
Outfield 1	Johnson, Kelly 2018	tb al	4.5		Trout, Mike 2949	ana al	13.5		Mike Trout	ana al	7
Outfield 2	Nava, Daniel 2740	bos al	4.5		Hamilton, Josh 2332	ana al	11.5		Adam Jones	bal al	13
Outfield 3	Raburn, Ryan 2340	cle al	4.5		Rios, Alex 1989	chi al	9.9		Torii Hunter	det al	55
Designated hitter	Ortiz, David	bos al	5.2		Butler, Billy 2330	kc al	13.7		David Ortiz	bos al	1
Starting pitcher 1	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
Starting pitcher 2	Buchholz, Clay 2363	bos al	10.1		Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	25.8
Starting pitcher 3	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	sea al	9.7		Scherzer, Max 2588	det al	25.7
Starting pitcher 4	Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	9		Hernandez, Felix 2064	sea al	25.4
Middle reliever	Tazawa, Junichi 3151	bos al	4		Chen, Bruce 1170	kc al	8
Closing pitcher	Perkins, Glen 2506	min al	5		Rodney, Fernando 1803	tb al	10
NL
First base	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	8.7		Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	13.2		Joey Votto	cin nl	10
Second base	Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	5		Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	14.5		Brandon Phillips	cin nl	1
Shortstop	Cabrera, Everth 2625	sd nl	4.5		Cabrera, Everth 2625	sd nl	7.5		Troy Tulowitzki	col nl	5
Third base	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	dc nl	5.2		Freese, David 2710	stl nl	12.7		Pablo Sandoval	sf nl	7
Catcher	McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	5		McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	11		Buster Posey	sf nl	2
Outfield 1	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	8		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	17.2		Justin Upton	atl nl	20
Outfield 2	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	5.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	16		Bryce Harper	dc nl	2
Outfield 3	Pollock, A.J. 3142	ari nl	4.7		Holliday, Matt 1836	stl nl	15.7		Carlos Beltran	stl nl	28
Starting pitcher 1	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	9.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
Starting pitcher 2	Corbin, Patrick 3027	ari nl	9.4		Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	26.1
Starting pitcher 3	Harvey, Matt 3075	nym nl	9		Strasburg, Stephen 2736	dc nl	23.4
Starting pitcher 4	Wainwright, Adam 2150	stl nl	8.7		Gonzalez, Gio 2626	dc nl	22.7
Middle reliever	Collmenter, Josh 2863	ari nl	3		Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	6
Closing pitcher	Grilli, Jason 2209	pit nl	4.7		Chapman, Aroldis 2826	cin nl	18
AL top player	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
AL top batter	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	10.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	22.4
NL top player	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	9.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
NL top batter	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	8.7		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	17.2

BTP: Box-Toppers points

RANK BY POS: Where the player ranks by fielding position in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

St. Louis Cardinals remain Box-Toppers top team; Washington Nationals jump to 10th

The St. Louis Cardinals remain atop Box-Toppers team power rankings for the sixth straight week.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points for the season (57.0).

The Boston Red Sox remain in second place with 50.0 points.

The Washington Nationals picked up the most points of any team in the past week (6.5), moving up to 10th place on the list. The Nationals have 43.5 for the season.

The Cardinals, which also have the best record in the Majors (43-23) are led by pitcher Shelby Miller (9.7 Box-Toppers points), Adam Wainwright (8.7) and Lance Lynn (8.4). 

The Red Sox, which are tied with the Oakland Athletics for the best record in the American League (41-27) are led by pitcher Clay Buchholz (10.1 Box-Toppers points), designated hitter David Ortiz (5.2) and pitcher Jon Lester (4.7). 

613	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	57.0	4.7	1
2	Red Sox	50.0	5.0	2
3	Reds	48.9	5.2	3
4	Tigers	48.8	5.2	4
5	Athletics	47.7	5.5	6
6	Pirates	45.8	6.2	10
7	Rangers	45.6	2.0	5
8	Braves	43.9	2.5	7
9	Diamondbacks	43.8	3.0	8
10	Nationals	43.5	6.5	Not ranked

BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.

BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday.

Athletics' Jesse Chavez, Cardinals' Adam Wainwright top players for Thursday, June 13

Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is Thursday's Player of the Day. Chavez pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings of closing, extra-innings relief in the 3-2, 18-inning win over the Yankees. Chavez gave up only one hit and struck out seven after appearing in the 13th inning.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is National League Player of the Day. Wainwright pitched seven shutout innings in the 2-1 win over the Mets. 

Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Zimmerman homered and drove in three runs in the 5-4 win over the Rockies. 

Chavez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Wainwright receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Zimmerman  receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day. No American League batter was Player of the Game Thursday, so no AL batter receives bonus points.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

613	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.2	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jesse Chavez (W, 1-0)	5.2	1	0	0	2	7
NL	7.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Wainwright (W, 10-3)	7.0	4	0	0	2	6
	5.2	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Cain (W, 5-3)	6.2	2	0	0	2	3
	5.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 8-2)	7.0	3	2	2	1	6
	5.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hector Rondon (W, 1-0)	2.0	1	0	0	0	4
	4.2	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ervin Santana (W, 5-5)	7.2	5	1	0	0	3
	4.1	`Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tommy Hunter	2.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Nationals	Ryan Zimmerman 3B	4	2	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Steve Delabar (H, 3)	1.0	1	0	0	0	3

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.