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Today’s key Box-Toppers numbers. Click links to jump to charts elsewhere on this page.▪️ B-T game scores of winning team’s players.
▪️ Box-Toppers points of the day’s top player.
▪️ A B-T look at upcoming pitching matchups.
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Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Saturday’s World Series Game 2.
The Arizona Diamondbacks win 9-1 to tie the best-of-seven game series with the Texas Rangers, 1-1.
Kelly struck out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, three hits and no walks.
Multiple Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in 2023 postseason
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 29, 2023
3—Nathan Eovaldi TEX
3—Aaron Nola PHI
3—Zack Wheeler PHI
3—Merrill Kelly ARI*
2—Jordan Montgomery TEX
2—Brandon Pfaadt ARI
2—Ryan Pressly HOU
2—Corbin Carroll ARI
*Won 3rd Saturdayhttps://t.co/xxhNtS6WG4 pic.twitter.com/3AzxGgIffY
Kelly earned 13.0 Box-Toppers points in 2023, 18th overall and seventh among National League pitchers. This was Kelly’s third Player of the Game honor of the 2023 postseason in his fourth start. He was also Player of the Game Oct. 7 in the NL Division Series Game 1 win over the Dodgers and Oct. 23 in the NL Championship Game 6 win over the Phillies. (Kelly also started Oct. 17 in the NL Championship Game 2 loss to the Phillies.) Kelly is now one of four players with three Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors this postseason, joining Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and Phillies pitchers Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler.
Kelly had a Box-Toppers game score of +11.0, best among all players Saturday. Diamondbacks top batter was pinch hitter/third baseman Emmanuel Rivera with a +3.0 Box-Toppers game score (1-1 R 2BI). Diamondbacks designated hitter Tommy Pham had a +2.0 game score (2-2B 4-4 2R 0BI).
Ranger starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery had a -12.0 Box-Toppers game score (6IP 9H 4R BB 0K L). Martin Perez, who was the Rangers’ fifth and final relief pitcher, had a -12.9 Box-Toppers game score (1.1IP 5H 4R 2BB K ND).
No Rangers batter had a positive Box-Toppers game score. Designated hitter Mitch Garver had the highest-ranking game score for a Rangers batter of -1.0 (HR 1-4 R BI).
The series resumes Monday in Phoenix.
A look at Box-Toppers game scores of all Diamondbacks players in World Series Game 2 (chart).
The team with the starting pitcher with the most Box-Toppers points is generally favored. In 2022, the team with the better starting pitcher went 22-18 in the postseason. But this postseason, those teams are just 11-27.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) October 30, 2023
A https://t.co/q9Zrv487rN thread: pic.twitter.com/LgIeaUZzFR
Top Diamondbacks in World Series Game 2: Diamondbacks 9, Rangers 1
Here are the Box-Toppers game scores (BTG) of all Diamondbacks players who appeared in World Series Game 2, listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score. Player of the Game (POG) is Merrill Kelly.| 10/28 | BTG | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POG | +11.0 | Merrill Kelly (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | |
| +3.0 | Emmanuel Rivera PH‑3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | Tommy Pham DH | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +1.0 | Lourdes Gurriel Jr. LF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +1.0 | Evan Longoria 3B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +0.2 | Luis Frías | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| +0.1 | Andrew Saalfrank | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0.0 | Geraldo Perdomo SS | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 0.0 | Jace Peterson PH‑DH | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 0.0 | Pavin Smith PH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑1.0 | Corbin Carroll RF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑1.0 | Gabriel Moreno C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Alek Thomas CF | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Ketel Marte 2B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑4.0 | Christian Walker 1B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
` Pitcher had a no‑decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
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Box-Toppers point totals of the day’s Player of the Game winners
Here are Box-Toppers point totals of each of the Player of the Game winners. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total in 2023 (’23). Also shown is their point total for this season and last (’22-23), the period 2018-2023 (’18-23) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2023 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2022 total (+/-).Back to top
| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’23 | ’22‑23 | ’18‑23 | Career | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly, Merrill 4143 | pi sp | ari nl | 13.0 | 24.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | +2.0 |
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World Series Game 3, Rangers at Diamondbacks, series tied, 1-1
Monday’s pitching matchup (for more, see matchups chart):
Rangers—Max Scherzer of the Rangers, 15.4 Box-Toppers points in 2023, 10th overall, sixth among American League pitchers.
Diamondbacks—Brandon Pfaadt, 3.7 Box-Toppers points in 2023, 282nd overall, 88th among NL pitchers.
Scherzer has not earned Player of the Game honors in two postseason starts—in ALCS Games 3 and 7 on Oct. 18 and Oct. 23.
Pfaadt has earned Player of the Game honors twice in four postseason starts—Oct. 11 in NLDS Game 3 and and Oct. 19 in NLCS Game 3. Pfaadt also started Oct. 3 in NL Wild Card Game 1 and Oct. 24 in NLCS Game 7.
A Box-Toppers look at Monday’s World Series pitching matchup
A Box-Toppers look at the upcoming day’s probable pitching matchups. Teams are paired below with visiting teams on top and home teams on the bottom. Each team’s starting pitcher is shown with their Box-Toppers point total from 2023 (’23), over a two-year period (’22-23), over a six-year period (’18-23) and their career point total.Back to top
| Game | Starter | ’23 | ’22‑23 | ’18‑23 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEX | Scherzer, Max 2588 | 15.4 | 25.4 | 95.0 | 251.7 |
| ARI | Pfaadt, Brandon 4812 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
* Player has yet to earn Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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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. (No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.)
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