NERD Game Scores for July 15, 2017

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric forefather 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.

How are they calculated? Haphazardly, is how. An explanation of the components and formulae which produce these NERD scores is available here. All objections to the numbers here are probably justified, on account of how this entire endeavor is absurd.

Most Highly Rated Game
New York AL at Boston | 16:05 ET
Severino (106.2 IP, 69 xFIP-) vs. Sale (127.2 IP, 61 xFIP-)
This game features one of the best pitchers in the American League by every reasonable measure against the actual best pitcher in the American League by every reasonable measure. What else it features is a pair of clubs with encouraging but inconclusive postseason futures. This, like almost anything including bufala mozzarella, is a very promising recipe.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Boston Radio.

Another Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Cleveland at Oakland, starts at 21:05 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.

Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete and also sortable table for all of today’s games. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and 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.