NERD Game Scores for Friday, May 16, 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.
Most Highly Rated Game
Atlanta at St. Louis | 20:15 ET
Ervin Santana (40.2 IP, 68 xFIP-, 1.1 WAR) faces Lance Lynn (47.0 IP, 91 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR). The former has produced the fifth-best park-adjusted xFIP among the league’s qualified starters thus far, while also having produced the third-most linear-weight runs by means of his slider.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Atlanta or St. Louis Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Yu Darvish’s NERD Score Still Likely to Outrage Some Readers
Despite his excellent last start, he’s still recorded only the 39th-best swinging-strike rate among 107 qualified starters (after leading the league by that measure last year). That’s one reason why. Another is that he’s among the league’s slowest workers. Because the author is an idiot, however, will likely be the most commonly asserted explanation.
Mets-Nationals Is Today’s Free Game
It begins at 7:05pm ET 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 Lohse | MIL | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | CHN | Jeff Samardzija | 14:20 |
| Alfredo Simon | CIN | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | PHI | Kyle Kendrick | 19:05 |
| Jon Niese | NYN | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | WAS | Tanner Roark | 19:05 |
| Sonny Gray | OAK | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | CLE | Zach McAllister | 19:05 |
| Edinson Volquez | PIT | 3 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | NYA | David Phelps* | 19:05 |
| Max Scherzer | DET | 8 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 8 | BOS | Jon Lester | 19:10 |
| Drew Hutchison | TOR | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | TEX | Yu Darvish | 20:05 |
| Chris Tillman | BAL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | KC | Jeremy Guthrie | 20:10 |
| Jose Quintana | CHA | 5 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 8 | HOU | Collin McHugh | 20:10 |
| Chris Young | SEA | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | MIN | Kyle Gibson | 20:10 |
| Ervin Santana | ATL | 10 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 7 | STL | Lance Lynn | 20:15 |
| Eric Stults | SD | 4 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 3 | COL | Jorge de la Rosa | 20:40 |
| Zack Greinke | LAN | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | AZ | Wade Miley | 21:40 |
| Chris Archer | TB | 6 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 3 | LAA | Jered Weaver | 22:05 |
| Henders. Alvarez | MIA | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | SF | Yusmeiro Petit* | 22:15 |
To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
A 0 Pitcher Nerd for Chris Young? Have you seen how tall this guy is?