NERD Game Scores: Concerning a Middle-Western Spectacle

July 25, 2014

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.

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Most Highly Rated Game
Cleveland at Kansas City | 19:10 ET
Josh Tomlin (81.1 IP, 81 xFIP-, 0.8 WAR) faces Yordano Ventura (107.2 IP, 95 xFIP-, 1.5 WAR). The latter has recorded the highest average fastball velocity (96.8 mph) among all qualified pitchers while also throwing strikes and preventing runs at a slightly above-average rate. The former has somehow improved upon his previously established strikeout rates by about 50% while also — despite conspicuously modest armspeed — while also producing the same exact park-adjusted xFIP as considerably more celebrated starters Madison Bumgarner and Max Scherzer.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.

Two Brief Notes
Regarding Another Game That’s Probably Notable
The NERD formula, because it was designed by an imbecile, doesn’t account for the likely added intrigue provided by those games played between divisional rivals with reasonable playoff aspirations. Tonight’s contest between the Dodgers and Giants is that sort of game, however. It begins at 10:15pm ET.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features St. Louis at the Chicago Nationals, starts at 4:05pm ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.

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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.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Joe Kelly	STL	5	3	3	5	1	CHN	Travis Wood	16:05
Wade Miley	AZ	9	5	5	2	2	PHI	Kyle Kendrick	19:05
Homer Bailey	CIN	7	2	5	2	4	NYA	Hiroki Kuroda	19:05
Jon Lester	BOS	7	3	7	8	9	TB	David Price	19:10
Tanner Roark	WAS	5	8	5	2	5	CIN	Alfredo Simon	19:10
Jesse Hahn	SD	8	4	7	7	8	ATL	Alex Wood	19:35
Jason Hammel	OAK	7	8	6	4	4	TEX	Jerome Williams*	20:05
John Danks	CHA	2	2	2	4	0	MIN	Kevin Correia	20:10
Josh Tomlin	CLE	8	7	8	4	10	KC	Yo. Ventura	20:10
Brad Hand	MIA	4	7	6	8	7	HOU	Dallas Keuchel	20:10
Zack Wheeler	NYN	8	2	5	6	3	MIL	Yovani Gallardo	20:10
Charlie Morton	PIT	4	5	5	8	5	COL	Brett Anderson	20:40
Drew Smyly	DET	4	4	5	6	7	LAA	Tyler Skaggs	22:05
Kevin Gausman	BAL	5	6	7	4	10	SEA	Felix Hernandez	22:10
Zack Greinke	LAN	8	5	6	6	5	SF	Tim Lincecum	22:15

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.