NERD Game Scores: Entirely Gratis Felix Hernandez Event

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
Seattle at Chicago AL | 14:10 ET
Felix Hernandez (128.1 IP, 61 xFIP-, 4.8 WAR) faces Jose Quintana (104.2 IP, 88 xFIP-, 2.6 WAR). After his most recent appearance, the former has now produced the fifth-lowest park- and league-adjusted xFIP among qualified starters since 2002 (i.e. the earliest year for which that metric is available) — and the absolute lowest such mark since Randy Johnson recorded a 59 xFIP- with Arizona in 2004.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Seattle Radio.

Two Brief Notes
Periodic George Springer Status Update
Through 306 plate appearances, Houston rookie George Springer has recorded 17 home runs (including one yesterday, embedded below), a line of .242/.350/.477 (.361 BABIP), a 131 wRC+, and a 1.7 WAR.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features the actual same teams, at the actual same time, as today’s most highly rated game — 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
Miguel Gonzalez	BAL	1	6	4	2	6	BOS	Jon Lester	13:05
Ubaldo Jimenez	BAL	2	6	5	2	8	BOS	John Lackey	19:15
David Phelps	NYA	2	3	4	4	5	MIN	Yohan Pino*	14:10
Felix Hernandez	SEA	10	5	7	2	6	CHA	Jose Quintana	14:10
Andrew Heaney*	MIA	7	7	5	3	2	STL	Shelby Miller	14:15
Undecided*	CHN	5	4	5	7	5	WAS	Gio Gonzalez	16:05
David Buchanan	PHI	4	2	3	4	2	PIT	Edinson Volquez	16:05
Chris Archer	TB	6	6	5	4	5	DET	Anibal Sanchez	16:08
Mike Bolsinger	AZ	8	6	6	7	4	ATL	Aaron Harang	16:10
Dan Haren	LAN	4	5	4	9	2	COL	Jorge de la Rosa	16:10
Matt Garza	MIL	4	7	6	3	8	CIN	Homer Bailey	16:10
Jeremy Guthrie	KC	3	5	6	7	8	CLE	T.J. House	19:05
Tim Hudson	SF	5	5	4	3	4	SD	O. Despaigne*	19:15
Colby Lewis	TEX	3	4	4	3	5	NYN	Bartolo Colon	19:15
Scott Feldman	HOU	2	8	3	6	2	LAA	Hector Santiago	22:05
Mark Buehrle	TOR	4	7	6	7	6	OAK	Scott Kazmir	22:05

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