NERD Game Scores for Monday, June 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
Chicago AL at Los Angeles NL | 19:10 ET
Jose Quintana (67.1 IP, 88 xFIP-, 1.6 WAR) faces Clayton Kershaw (35.1 IP, 50 xFIP-, 1.2 WAR). Among the 172 pitchers who qualify for NERD — which is to say, pitchers who’ve recorded 20 innings or more as a starter — the latter has produced the best park-adjusted xFIP. By definition, the left-handed Quintana hasn’t done that. “Such is life,” one is compelled to say — in a foreign language, if at all possible.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL Television.

Three Brief Notes
Regarding Today, What It Is in Italy
The reader doesn’t need to know, but perhaps won’t mind knowing, that today is Republic Day in Italy — inside of which country the author has composed the entirety of the present document.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Tampa Bay at Miami, starts at 7:10pm ET, and 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
John Lackey	BOS	8	2	6	5	5	CLE	J. Masterson	19:05
Bartolo Colon	NYN	6	2	4	2	2	PHI	Rob. Hernandez	19:05
Felix Hernandez	SEA	9	4	6	5	3	NYA	David Phelps	19:05
Alex Cobb	TB	7	6	6	8	3	MIA	Randy Wolf*	19:10
Kyle Gibson	MIN	2	4	4	5	5	MIL	Matt Garza	19:20
Danny Duffy	KC	0	3	2	3	3	STL	Shelby Miller	20:10
Jose Quintana	CHA	6	3	7	6	10	LAN	Clay. Kershaw	22:10
Charlie Morton	PIT	3	6	5	6	5	SD	Tim Stauffer*	22:10

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.