“Zack Greinke,” is probably the answer.

Featured Game
St. Louis (8) at Milwaukee (8) | 20:10 ET
• A number of readers noted (correctly), regarding the recent piece in which I named Clayton Kershaw the Boss of the Strike Zone that, were he qualified, Zack Greinke would actually have a better mark per strikeout differential (K% minus BB%, or K-BB) than Kershaw.
• Regard: Kershaw (28.6% K, 6.6% BB) versus Greinke (31.1% K, 5.3% BB).
• By way of an FYI, let it be known that Curt Schilling’s 2002 mark (31.1% K, 3.2% BB) is the best in the FanGraphs Era.
• Which, that’s the era right after Postmodernism and right before Hammer Time.
• Um, Neo-Hammer Time, I mean.

Watch: Fox Sports Wisconsin. (Although, listen to Bob Uecker and Cory Provus call the game on WTMJ, if possible.)

Also Playing
Here’s the complete schedule for all of today’s games, with our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for each one. The average NERD Game Score for today is 5.8.

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A recent photo of Cleveland manager Manny Acta.

Featured Game
Kansas City (7) at Cleveland (8) | 19:05 ET
This game has all the things to put a smile on your face — and also on other parts of your body, if that’s something you’re into.

To wit:
• Felipe Paulino, pitching for the Royals, has been excellent since joining said team’s rotation at the beginning of June, producing this exact line: 60.2 IP, 8.75 K/9, 2.23 K/9, 48.8% GB, 2.99 SIERA, 3.23 xFIP, 82 xFIP-.
• Justin Masterson, pitching for the Indians, can throw all fastballs if he wants — and he doesn’t care what you or anyone thinks.
• The Royals (average batter age of 26.5) and Indians (28.0) are the youngest and fifth-youngest teams, respectively, in the league.
• The Indians, despite their youth — and the fifth-lowest opening-day payroll, as well — are only 2.5 games out of first place.
• People will/have come! Average attendance at Cleveland’s Progressive Field this season (per Baseball Reference): 21,158. Attendance last night (per MLB.com): 35,390.

Watch: Fox Sports Kansas City. (I say this with little authority, however. I know I’ve watched before and haven’t been gravely offended. And, as an aside, Royal broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre cites both lectio divina and Thomas Merton in this article from the National Catholic Register — which, regardless of your thoughts on religion, organized or otherwise, this suggests Lefebvre is probably the thoughtful, curious sort.)

Also Playing
Here’s the complete schedule for all of today’s games, with our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for each one. The average NERD Game Score for today is 5.7.

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Roy Halladay and Charlie Morton face each other tonight.

Featured Game
Pittsburgh (7) at Philadelphia (3) | 19:05 ET
• The attentive reader will be familiar with how Pirate Charlie Morton has co-opted entirely Roy Halladay’s delivery this season.
• The less attentive reader can use this time to read a note by Ken Rosenthal about how Charlie Morton has co-opted entirely Roy Halladay’s delivery this season.
• Or watch these YouTube videos.
• While that’s happening, the attentive reader can use his extra time to play Legos! Yay!
• Afterwards, we’ll all watch this Pirates-Phillies game, which marks the first time these pitchers will have met since Morton co-opted entirely Roy Halladay’s delivery.

Watch: ROOT (i.e. the Pittsburgh feed). Colorman Bob Walk is pretty responsible with most of his commentary, from what I’ve seen.

Also Playing
Here’s the complete schedule for all of today’s games, with our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for each one. The average NERD Game Score for today is 5.4.

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Help FanGraphs help you help yourself.

Featured Game
Arizona (9) at San Diego (3) | 15:35
• Carlos Beltran will likely be making his Giant debut tonight (19:05), but watching that game would also entail watching a lot of Kyle Kendrick.
• Meanwhile, here, we have Daniel Hudson (8) and Mat Latos (7) — and a Diamondbacks team that’s very much in the NL West race (3.0 games back at game time).
• One player you might see is Collin Cowgill, who did this at Triple-A Reno: 456 PA, .354/.430/.554 (.397 BABIP), 11.2% BB, 13.8% K, 30-for-33 SB.
• That’s a 115 wOBA+ (i.e. park-adjusted wOBA, relative to league average), per StatCorner.

Watch: MLB.com. (The game appears to be unavailable locally in both markets.)

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Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in Spiritual Laws that “only in our easy, simple, spontaneous action we [are] strong.”

Please believe that this edition of One Night Only was composed as easily, simply, and spontaneously as possible.

As usual, the reader can find here our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for every one of today’s games.

Featured Game
San Francisco (5) at Philadelphia (3) | 19:05 ET
• Tim Lincecum (8) was scratched from Tuesday’s start with the “flu,” but I think we all know what “flu” means, right?*
• Influenza, is the answer. We just say “flu” because “influenza”‘s a long word.
• Lincecum faces Cole Hamels (10), currently fourth among qualifiers, and third on his own team, by xFIP and SIERA.
• Question: if some combination of Philly starters are the Tenenbaum children, who, do you think, is Eli Cash?
• Maybe Answer: Joe Blanton?

*Note: Matt Cain (7) would pitch tonight if Lincecum’s still sick. Manage your life decisions accordingly.

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Like every edition of One Night Only, this one is an experiment. Below, you will find tonight’s Featured Game, with some brief notes on same. Below that, you find the full schedule of tonight’s games, with our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for each one.

Featured Game
Detroit (6) at Chicago Americans (6) | 20:10 ET
Neither of these teams rate well in terms of pure watchability. The White Sox have one of the better bullpen xFIPs in the league (3.49); as for the Tigers, they actually have one of the league’s better offenses (+37.0 weighted runs above average, good for sixth in the majors). That’s about it. Still, they’re division rivals, one (Detroit) in first place; the other, only 3.5 games back… Apropos that final point, it’s a fact: the White Sox were 11.0 games back on May 7th and had only a 5.0% chance (per Cool Standings) of making the postseason that day — a number that now stands at 20.6% (also per Cool Standings)… Justin Verlander (10) faces Jake Peavy (8). The latter has a 5.19 ERA but only 3.57 SIERA and 3.52 xFIP (89 xFIP-).

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The author’s heart, under the influence of Felipe Paulino’s player page.

This edition of One Night Only contains:

1. Expanded previews for five weekend games: San Diego at Philadelphia on Friday, St. Louis at Pittsburgh and Chicago AL at Cleveland on Saturday, and Tampa Bay at Kansas City and Atlanta at Cincinnati on Sunday.

2. Our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for every one of this weekend’s games.

3. Feelings and/or emotions.

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This inkblot is giving two thumbs up.

This edition of One Night Only contains:

1. All of the news that’s fit to print, if by “news” you mean “game previews” and by “print” you mean “publish on the internet or whatever.”

2. Our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for every one of this mid-week’s games.

3. JeterYankeesMcCourtScandalSteroidsStrauss-KahnEconomyBadonkadonk.

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Mike Trout!

This edition of One Night Only contains:

1. Six heart-stopping game previews.

2. Pitcher and Team NERD scores for every one of this weekend’s games.

3. A brief note: please excuse the tardiness of the present edition of One Night Only. Sometimes a guy is at SABR 41 in Long Beach, CA. Sometimes that same guy’s, like, “Wait? What time is it?”

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You’re gonna have a TV Party tonight.

This edition of One Night Only contains:

1. Expanded previews for seven or eleven games or something.

2. Pitcher and Team NERD scores for every one of this mid-week’s games.

3. An accidental half-essay on watching taped games.

Note: the Team NERD scores used in this edition of One Night Only are the playoff-adjusted variety introduced in this week’s Leaderboards of Pleasure.

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