Rangers’ Gray, pitching in relief, tops players in World Series Game 3 win over Diamondbacks
Monday, Oct. 30 Daily Scorecard: Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners
Rangers pitcher Jon Gray is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Monday’s World Series Game 3.
The Texas Rangers win 3-1 to lead the best-of-seven game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-1.
Gray struck out three over three scoreless innings of middle relief, allowing one hit and no walks.
Gray earned 7.7 Box-Toppers points in 2023, 80th among all players, 42nd among American League pitchers and sixth among all Rangers pitchers. It is his first Player of the Game honor of the 2023 postseason. However, Gray also had the highest Box-Toppers game score among all Rangers players in the World Series Game 1 win over the Diamondbacks (+4.2), but did not qualify to be considered for Player of the Game because he did not pitch at least three innings or earn the win or save (1.2IP H 0R 0BB 4K ND). (Jose Leclerc was Game 1 Player of the Game with a +4.2 game score.)
Gray had a Box-Toppers game score Monday of +5.0, best among all players. Rangers closer Jose Leclerc had a +3.0 Box-Toppers game score (1I) 0H 0R 0BB 2K Sv). Rangers top batter, shortstop Corey Seager, had a 0.0 Box-Toppers game score (HR 1-4 R 2BI).
Gray came on in relief in the fourth inning after Rangers starter Max Scherzer exited with an apparent back injury after a batted ground ball hit him in the second inning. Scherzer had a 0.0 Box-Toppers game score (3IP 2H 0R 2BB K ND). Though he has the most 2023 Box-Toppers points among Rangers players (15.4, 10th overall), he has not won Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in any of his three postseason starts. Scherzer was out more than a month after exiting his Sept. 12 start with a shoulder strain before returning to the Rangers in AL Championship Series.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt had a -2.9 Box-Toppers game score (5.1IP 4H 3R 2BB 4K L).
Pinch hitter/third baseman Emmanuel Rivera had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Diamondbacks batters of 0.0 (2B 1-1 R 0BI).
A look at Box-Toppers game scores of all Rangers players in World Series Game 3 (chart).
World Series Game 4, Rangers lead Diamondbacks, 2-1
Tuesday’s pitching matchup (for more, see matchups chart):
Rangers—Andrew Heaney, 11.4 Box-Toppers points in 2023, 32nd overall, 16th among AL pitchers.
Diamondbacks—Joe Mantiply, 0.0 Box-Toppers points in 2023, 930th overall, 228th among National League pitchers.
Heaney has earned no Player of the Game honors in three postseason starts and one relief appearance.
Mantiply has made eight appearances this postseason, seven in relief and one “start” of one inning in Oct. 20’s NL Championship Series Game 4, but did not earn Player of the Game honors in any of them. He had 35 appearances in the regular season, nearly all in relief, but did not earn Player of the Game honors in any of them. He made three starts during the regular season, but his longest outing was 1 1/3 innings.
Box-Toppers 2023 World Series preview
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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