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!!
Morrow only has a score of 4? I’m not sure I want to live in that world.
The Washington TV broadcast is also perfectly enjoyable, especially on a Friday night (i.e., drinking night), due to colour commentator F.P. Santangelo’s endearing habit of mocking, pranking, perplexing, and otherwise ruffling the professionalism of his partner, Bob Carpenter. See, for example, the Official F.P. Santangelo Drinking Game, enlinkened in my username, or the following exchange from last weekend:
F.P.: …a Kenny Powers type guy…
Bob: Who’s Kenny Powers?
F.P.: He’s a character on “Eastbound and Down.”
Bob: I guess I’m not caught up on my TV these days.
F.P.: Oh, Bob…
Bob: What’s Kenny Powers like?
F.P.: Well, Bob, he’s a lot like your former broadcast partner.
[awkward silence]
[change of subject]
Oh man, I missed that when it happened. You got a date for that particular bit of priceless clowning on Rob Dibble? And a time-stamp as well? I want to hear it for myself.
My original, much longer reply got eaten by the system because it included a link, but it’s April 26 vs. the Padres, around 2:15 p.m. central time.
What meant by “timestamp” was, at what point in the archived MLB broadcast can this exchange be found? (The half-inning would be fine.) I obviously don’t have time to listen to the whole game.
Looking at the flow of the gameday discussion on the Washington Nationals Fan Forum, I think it was in the top of the 9th inning. There is a great F.P. story in the bottom of the 8th about the minor league “beer batter”.
May I suggest the additional FP drinking game rules specific to tonight’s matchup:
* Irrational references to CBBP as “Nat’s Park North” = drink
* Reference to Cliff Lee as being drafted by the Expos, or the subsequent trade to the Indians = drink (in addition to the two drinks for the Expos reference)
* Reference to any interactions between Jayson Werth and Phillies fans = drink
* Reference to any interactions between Jayson Werth and the Phillie Phanatic (or his/her/its ATV) = finish your drink
I dunno about that 5 rating for Travis Wood. For his pitching, sure. But once you take his bat into account, he’s gotta be at least a 7.
I think his hitting would show up in the team score, but I get your point.
I am mesmerized by Bronson Arroyo’s leg kick.
Just bought a ticket for Phillies-Nats tonite. I’m setting the over/under on combined strikeouts at 49.5.