Dodgers pitcher Dustin May is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Sunday’s World Series Game 5.
The Los Angeles Dodgers win 4-2 to take a 3-2 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-seven game series.
May struck out two over 1 2/3 scoreless middle relief innings, allowing one hit and no walks. He entered the game with two outs in the sixth inning, relieving starter Clayton Kershaw, pitched through the seventh inning and got the first out in the eighth inning, throwing 30 total pitches.
May had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.2, highest among all Dodgers players. However, pitchers like May who do not earn the win or the save and pitch fewer than three innings do not normally qualify to win Player of the Game honors. May only won Player of the Game because he had a higher Box-Toppers game score and the same or more innings pitched as the player who otherwise would have been named top player. That was Dodgers closing pitcher Blake Treinen (1IP H 0R 0BB 2K Sv), who had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0 and automatically qualified to earn Player of the Game honors because he picked up the save. But because May had a higher game score (+2.2) and more innings pitched (1 2/3 vs. 1), May earns Player of the Game honors.
Kershaw, who picked up the win, had a game score of +0.2 (5.2IP 5H 2R 2BB 6K W).
May becomes the 12th player this postseason to earn Player of the Game honors more than once. He previously did it Oct. 6 in the National League Division Series Game 1 win over the Padres. Sunday was his seventh appearance of the 2020 postseason. While he’s started three times, all of his appearances have been for no more than two innings.
May had 2.0 Box-Toppers points in 2020.
First baseman Max Muncy had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+1.0) among Dodgers batters (HR 2-3 R BI).
Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow had a Box-Toppers game score Sunday of -5.0 (5IP 6H 4R 3BB 7K L). First baseman Yandy Diaz had the highest game score (+1.0) among Rays batters (3B 3-2 R BI).
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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Top Dodgers in World Series Game 5: Dodgers 4, Rays 2
Here are the Box-Toppers game scores (BTG) of all Dodgers who played in World Series Game 5, listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score. Player of the Game (POG) is Dustin May.| 10/25 | BTG | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POG | +2.2 | `Dustin May | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| +2.0 | Blake Treinen (S, 1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +1.0 | Max Muncy 1B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +1.0 | Joc Pederson LF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +0.2 | Clayton Kershaw (W, 3‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| +0.0 | Corey Seager SS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑0.8 | Victor Gonzalez | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| ‑1.0 | Enrique Hernandez 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Cody Bellinger CF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Austin Barnes C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑3.0 | Mookie Betts RF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑4.0 | Justin Turner 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑4.0 | Will Smith DH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑4.0 | Chris Taylor 2B‑LF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
World Series Game 6, Dodgers lead Rays, 3-2
Monday is an off day. The series resumes Tuesday. The starting pitchers are expected to be the same as in Game 2, won by the Rays:
Rays—Blake Snell, 3.7 Box-Toppers points, 63rd among all players, 25th among AL pitchers. Since the start of 2019, Snell has 13.7 Box-Toppers points, 36th among all players over 2019-20, 16th among AL pitchers. Snell was Box-Toppers Player of the Year in 2018, leading all players that season with 27.2 Box-Toppers points.
This is Snell’s sixth 2020 postseason appearance. He is one of 12 players who have earned Player of the Game honors more than once this postseason: On Sept. 29 in the American League Wild Card Game 1 win over the Blue Jays and on Oct. 21 in the World Series Game 2 win over the Dodgers. He also started Oct. 5 in the AL Division Series Game 1, a loss to the Yankees, Oct. 11 in the AL Championship Series Game 1 win over the Astros and Oct. 16 in the ALCS Game 6 loss to the Astros.
Dodgers—Tony Gonsolin, 4.7 Box-Toppers points, 36th among all players, 17th among NL pitchers. Since the start of 2019, Gonsolin has 7.7 Box-Toppers points, 131st among all players over 2019-20, 44th among NL pitchers. (While Gonsolin pitched in 2019, his rookie status is intact for 2020.)
This is Gonsolin’s fourth postseason appearance. He started the NL Championship Series Game 2 loss to the Braves on Oct. 13, pitched in relief in the NLCS Game 7 win over the Braves on Oct. 18 and started the World Series Game 2 loss to the Rays on Oct. 21.
Related:
Box-Toppers World Series preview
Box-Toppers NL Championship Series preview
Box-Toppers AL Championship Series preview