NERD Game Scores for Friday, May 2, 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
Washington at Philadelphia | 19:05 ET
Stephen Strasburg (34.0 IP, 55 xFIP-, 1.0 WAR) faces Cliff Lee (41.0 IP, 66 xFIP-, 1.3 WAR) — which pairing the reader will recognize as one of the league’s most compelling possible ones. A brief inspection of the former’s player profile reveals that the Strasburg has actually conceded about twice as many runs as his defense-independent numbers would suggest. Said player profile also reveals that Strasburg has produced a 31.0% swinging-strike rate by means of his changeup thus far — greater than twice the typical league average for that pitch.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Washington Radio.
MLB.TV Free Game
Milwaukee at Cincinnati | 19:10 ET
Wily Peralta (31.2 IP, 89 xFIP-, 0.1 WAR) faces Mike Leake (35.1 IP, 99 xFIP-, -0.1 WAR). According to the current playoff odds, the visiting club appears to have a nearly a 50% chance of qualifying for the divisional series — higher, one guesses, than their preseason projections would have suggested.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Milwaukee Radio.
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Wainwright | STL | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | CHN | Travis Wood | 14:20 |
| John Danks | CHA | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | CLE | Danny Salazar | 19:05 |
| David Price | TB | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | NYA | Vidal Nuno* | 19:05 |
| Brandon Morrow | TOR | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | PIT | Gerrit Cole | 19:05 |
| Stephen Strasburg | WAS | 10 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 10 | PHI | Cliff Lee | 19:05 |
| Josh Beckett | LAN | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | MIA | Tom Koehler | 19:10 |
| Wily Peralta | MIL | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | CIN | Mike Leake | 19:10 |
| Dan Straily | OAK | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | BOS | Clay Buchholz | 19:10 |
| Tim Lincecum | SF | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | ATL | Mike Minor* | 19:35 |
| Ubaldo Jimenez | BAL | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | MIN | Ricky Nolasco | 20:10 |
| Rick Porcello | DET | 8 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | KC | James Shields | 20:10 |
| Felix Hernandez | SEA | 9 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | HOU | Brad Peacock* | 20:10 |
| Zack Wheeler | NYN | 8 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | COL | Jorge de la Rosa | 20:40 |
| Colby Lewis* | TEX | 8 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0 | LAA | Hector Santiago | 22:05 |
| Bronson Arroyo | AZ | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 8 | SD | Andrew Cashner | 22:10 |
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.
Handsome author needs to adjust Hector Santiago’s score — no way should the only pitcher in baseball who throws a screwball deserve a zero NERD!!