NERD Game Scores: A Not-Family Reunion in Houston Tonight

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
Los Angeles AL at Houston | 20:10 ET
Shoemaker (97.0 IP, 101 xFIP-) vs. Kazmir (116.2 IP, 93 xFIP-)
Following consecutive victories over the Anaheimers, the Houstonians now possess both a one-game lead over and also slightly better odds of winning the division than those same Angels. The two clubs meet once again this evening — and unlike a family reunion, the reunion of the Angels and Astros tonight at Minute Maid Park will feature neither (a) baleful career advice from your uncle who had four whiskies already nor (b) sexually confusing encounters with your obviously attractive second cousin Donna. Also, the combination of Matt Shoemaker and Scott Kazmir holds some promise.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Houston Radio.

Two Brief Notes
On the Aesthetics of Troy Tulowitzki’s Debut
A number of readers suggested, in response to yesterday’s edition of this same thing, that Troy Tulowitzki’s debut for Toronto would be frigging delightful and that the author should throw himself off 10 bridges for not recognizing that. What Tulowitzki proceeded to do, then, was home in his second plate appearance ever as a member of the Jays. In response, what the author has done is throw himself off of 10 bridges — done that and then rendered slow-motion footage of Tulo’s home run into even slower motion footage of the same thing, as follows:

Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Washington at Miami, starts at 12:10 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.

Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete and very sortable table for all of today’s games. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and also the rest of the internet. Note that the calculations both for team and game NERD scores have changed recently to better integrate playoff odds into same. Read more about those changes here, if you’re the sort of person accustomed to making poor life decisions.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Andrew Cashner	SD	7	3	5	7	4	NYN	Jon Niese	12:10
Max Scherzer	WAS	10	7	6	4	2	MIA	Dan Haren	12:10
Shelby Miller	ATL	7	2	3	1	2	PHI	Aaron Harang	19:05
Alfredo Simon	DET	3	3	4	7	4	BAL	Miguel Gonzalez	19:05
Danny Duffy	KC	3	4	5	10	3	TOR	Marco Estrada	19:07
Chris Sale	CHA	10	1	5	3	6	BOS	Steven Wright	19:10
A.J. Burnett	PIT	5	9	5	3	3	CIN	David Holmberg*	19:10
Chris Rusin	COL	5	4	5	4	9	STL	Carlos Martinez	19:15
Michael Pineda	NYA	10	7	5	3	2	TEX	Yovani Gallardo	20:05
Jake Arrieta	CHN	9	5	5	3	5	MIL	Jimmy Nelson	20:10
Matt Shoemaker	LAA	5	9	7	9	6	HOU	Scott Kazmir	20:10
J.A. Happ	SEA	4	3	4	4	4	MIN	Phil Hughes	20:10
Carlos Carrasco	CLE	10	4	5	4	3	OAK	Chris Bassitt	22:05

* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.