NERD Game Scores for Friday, May 20, 2016
Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric nobleman 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
Toronto at Minnesota | 20:10 ET
Sanchez (52.0 IP, 84 xFIP-) vs. Duffey (24.1 IP, 84 xFIP-)
While it’s possible, it’s not at all probable, that all DJ Khaled does “is win.” Or, if his life really is marked by constant victory, it’s almost certainly the product of some seriously risk-averse behavior. For example: has he ever played chess? It’s unlikely that DJ Khaled would defeat a grandmaster, or even a pretty good master. Has he ever tried drugs? Because, when you try drugs, everybody loses. And here one finds merely two examples in which failure, of some sort, is inevitable. With regard to Minnesota right-hander Tyler Duffey, it’s incorrect to say that all he does is win, too. But during his brief major-league career, he’s recorded fielding-independent numbers — and also other kinds of numbers — that suggest he’s likely to win more than he loses. Which isn’t a comment one maybe expected to make about Tyler Duffey two years ago or one year ago.
Two Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Colorado at Pittsburgh, starts at 19:05 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.
Broadcaster Rankings
Recently, the present author began the process of process of reproducing the broadcaster rankings which appeared on this site roughly four years ago. The final installment of the results from that effort — for television broadcasts, at least — appeared yesterday.
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. Note that calculations both for team and game NERD scores feature adjustment for postseason odds that increases as season progresses. Read more about those adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | TM | GM | TM | SP | Home | Time | ||
| Matt Wisler | ATL | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 10 | PHI | Aaron Nola | 19:05 |
| Eddie Butler | COL | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 7 | PIT | Gerrit Cole | 19:05 |
| Corey Kluber | CLE | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 2 | BOS | Clay Buchholz | 19:10 |
| Wily Peralta | MIL | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 10 | NYN | Steven Matz | 19:10 |
| Hisashi Iwakuma | SEA | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | CIN | Dan Straily | 19:10 |
| Matt Andriese | TB | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | DET | Anibal Sanchez | 19:10 |
| Tanner Roark | WAS | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 0 | MIA | Justin Nicolino | 19:10 |
| Dillon Gee* | KC | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | CHA | Jose Quintana | 20:10 |
| Colby Lewis | TEX | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | HOU | Lance McCullers* | 20:10 |
| Aaron Sanchez | TOR | 8 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | MIN | Tyler Duffey | 20:10 |
| Patrick Corbin | AZ | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | STL | Carlos Martinez | 20:10 |
| CC Sabathia | NYA | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | OAK | Sonny Gray | 21:35 |
| Mike Wright | BAL | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | LAA | Hector Santiago | 22:05 |
| Jake Arrieta | CHN | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | SF | Jake Peavy | 22:15 |
| Scott Kazmir | LAN | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | SD | Chris. Friedrich* | 22:40 |
TM denotes team score.
GM denotes overall game score.
Highlighted portion denotes game of the day.
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of clueless author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
One thing which can be said almost universally of opponents is that “they don’t want you to win”.
Some argue that the desire to win, in the face of nearly infinite limitations against a robust will, the desire produces its own defeat, in which case opponents may only be helping to provide a more permanent solution, where one finds his or herself without.