NERD Game Scores: Day of Bullpen Planned in Seattle

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
Minnesota at Seattle | 22:10 ET
Yohan Pino (21.2 IP, 105 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR) faces Tom Wilhelmsen (47.0 IP, 96 xFIP-, 0.1 WAR). Following the decision to move Felix Hernandez’s next start back to Friday and, simultaneously, to demote right-hander Taijuan Walker to Triple-A Tacoma, Seattle has decided to use only relief pitchers against Minnesota today. A half-hearted inspection of the internet reveals that the White Sox attempted a nearly similar thing on April 30th of this year (although Hector Noesi, who’d made only relief appearances until that point, has gone on to record only starts since then). Otherwise, the most recent example of such a strategy appears to be that instance last September 1st when Jamey Wright started for Tampa Bay — a game, however, which will have been played just after late-season roster expansion.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Seattle Radio.

Two Brief Notes
Regarding Kyle Hendricks, Who He Is and What He’s Doing
Right-handed Cubs prospect Kyle Hendricks is expected to make his major-league debut this afternoon in Cincinnati. The 24-year-old has recorded strikeout and walk rates of 23.3% and 5.5% in 102.2 innings over 17 starts for Triple-A Iowa — largely on the strength, those excellent numbers, on a well-commanded fastball and plus changeup.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Atlanta at New York NL, starts at 7:10pm 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.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Kyle Hendricks*	CHN	9	5	7	3	8	CIN	Homer Bailey	12:35
David Buchanan	PHI	4	2	4	6	4	MIL	Matt Garza	14:10
Scott Kazmir	OAK	7	6	6	5	5	SF	Tim Hudson	15:45
Jose Quintana	CHA	6	2	5	2	7	BOS	Jon Lester	16:05
David Phelps	NYA	2	3	5	7	9	CLE	T.J. House	19:05
Gio Gonzalez	WAS	5	6	5	6	4	BAL	Wei-Yin Chen	19:05
Aaron Harang	ATL	4	7	5	2	5	NYN	Bartolo Colon	19:10
Edinson Volquez	PIT	2	4	2	3	2	STL	Shelby Miller	19:15
Hector Santiago	LAA	3	6	4	4	3	TEX	Colby Lewis	20:05
Drew Smyly	DET	4	4	4	5	3	KC	Jeremy Guthrie	20:10
Yohan Pino	MIN	5	3	7	5	12	SEA	Tom Wilhelmsen*	22:10
Odris. Despaigne*	SD	4	4	6	5	10	LAN	Clayton Kershaw	22:10

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