NERD Game Scores: An Unassailable Brock Stewart Syllogism
Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric nobleman 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 NL at Colorado | 20:10 ET
Stewart (5.0 IP, 70 xFIP-) vs. Anderson (54.0 IP, 79 xFIP-)
Here’s a syllogism regarding Brock Stewart, who’s scheduled to record his second-ever major-league start tonight:
- Pitchers who record strong strikeout- and walk-rate differentials (frequently expressed as K-BB%) as minor leaguers tend to experience major-league success.
- Among all affiliated minor-league pitchers who’ve recorded 100-plus innings, Brock Stewart has produced the top K-BB% this season.
- Therefore, Brock Stewart is likely to experience major-league success.
- Also, he recorded an average fastball velocity of 94 mph in his lone major-league appearance this year.
- That’s not really part of the syllogism, but it’s still relevant to Stewart’s major-league success.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL Radio.
One Other Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features San Francisco at Philadelphia, starts at 19:05 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 calculations both for team and game NERD scores feature adjustment for postseason odds that increases as season progresses. Read more about those adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | TM | GM | TM | SP | Home | Time | ||
| Tom Koehler | MIA | 2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | CHN | John Lackey | 14:20 |
| Junior Guerra | MIL | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | SD | Edwin Jackson | 15:40 |
| Max Scherzer | WAS | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | AZ | Zack Godley | 15:40 |
| Steven Matz | NYN | 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 10 | NYA | Chad Green | 19:05 |
| Johnny Cueto | SF | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 10 | PHI | Aaron Nola | 19:05 |
| Cole Hamels | TEX | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 8 | BAL | Kevin Gausman | 19:05 |
| Chris Sale | CHA | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 9 | DET | Michael Fulmer | 19:10 |
| Edinson Volquez | KC | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | TB | Jake Odorizzi | 19:10 |
| Tyler Duffey | MIN | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | CLE | Trevor Bauer | 19:10 |
| Jeff Locke | PIT | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 7 | ATL | Rob Whalen* | 19:10 |
| Michael Wacha | STL | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 9 | CIN | Cody Reed | 19:10 |
| Marco Estrada | TOR | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | HOU | Collin McHugh | 20:10 |
| Brock Stewart* | LAN | 10 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 8 | COL | Tyler Anderson | 20:40 |
| Kendall Graveman | OAK | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | LAA | Jered Weaver | 22:05 |
| Rick Porcello | BOS | 5 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | SEA | Hisashi Iwakuma | 22:10 |
TM denotes team score.
GM denotes overall game score.
Highlighted portion denotes game of the day.
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of clueless author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Discussion of bilateral hand transplants is fascinating, as it coincides with Zion Harvey throwing out the first pitch at Camden, yesterday.
This comment should have gone to the audio with Dave.