Braves relief pitcher Tyler Matzek is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Saturday’s clinching National League Championship Series Game 6.
Matzek struck out four over two scoreless innings (the seventh and eighth), allowing no hits and no walks, in the 4-2 win over the Dodgers. The Braves win the best-of-seven game series, 4-2, and advance to the World Series.
Matzek had a Box-Toppers game score Saturday of +6.0. Braves reliever A.J. Minter also had a game score of +6.0 and a nearly identical line score (2IP 0H 0R 0BB 4K ND). But Matzek earned Player of the Game honors because he was awarded the win while Minter had a no-decision.
Braves closing pitcher Will Smith had a game score of +3.0 (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K Sv). Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson had a game score of +2.0 (4IP 3H R BB 4K ND). Braves top batter was Eddie Rosario with a game score of +2.0 (HR 2-4 R 3BI). Rosario was named NL Championship Series Most Valuable Player. He was Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Game 4 Wednesday.
Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler had a game score of -8.0 (4IP 7H 4R 3BB 6K L). No Dodgers batter had a positive game score.
Matzek earned 0.0 Box-Toppers points in the 2021 regular season in 69 relief appearances. However, in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Matzek earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points in 21 appearances, including Aug. 2, 2020, when he earned Player of the Game honors for the first time in nearly six years.
The Dodgers, now eliminated, were far and away Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team in 2021, with its players accumulating 146.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season. The Braves ranked fifth overall with 122.4 points.
However, several players that helped build the Dodgers to such preeminence weren’t available in the NLCS. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw (13.4 Box-Toppers points, 19th among all players) was injured. Pitcher Trevor Bauer earned 9.4 Box-Toppers points (28th among NL pitchers) was on administrative leave by baseball for investigation into sexual assault allegations. Dodgers’ top batter Max Muncy (6.0 Box-Toppers points, 23rd among NL batters) was injured.
In addition, Box-Toppers Player of the Year Max Scherzer (25.1 Box-Toppers points, first overall) was not effective in the postseason. 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 in six regular and postseason appearances since, he failed to win Player of the Game. He complained of arm fatigue and was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday in Game 6, hoping to be able to pitch in a Game 7 that never came.
The Dodgers had three starting pitchers among the overall top 10 players in Box-Toppers season player rankings, Scherzer, Julio Urias (fourth with 19.1 points) and Walker Buehler (10th with 16.7 points). That’s the most of any team. All were available for the postseason, but of the three, only Urias won Player of the Game honors in the postseason, doing it twice in the NL Division Series against the Giants.
The Braves advance to the World Series to face the Astros. Game 1 is Tuesday in Houston.
Box-Toppers preview of the NLCS from Oct. 15
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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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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +6.0 | ATL 4, LAD 2 | Tyler Matzek, (W 1‑0) | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
` Pitcher had a no‑decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.