NERD Game Scores for Monday, May 18, 2015

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
Cleveland at Chicago AL | 20:10 ET
Kluber (52.2 IP, 66 xFIP-) vs. Sale (35.1 IP, 87 xFIP-)
As the reader is likely aware, Cleveland right-hander Corey Kluber recorded 18 strikeouts in his most recent start. With regard to the historical significance of that performance and also by what means Kluber made it possible, dauntless polymath Owen Watson has supplied all relevant information. In this week’s edition of the Sunday Notes, David Laurila addresses another matter relevant to Kluber, paraphrased here: on the 30 occasions on which a pitcher has recorded 18-plus strikeouts in a single game, those same pitchers have averaged 7.4 strikeouts in their respective subsequent outings. Readers who are so motivated might consider choosing either the over or under on that particular figure and then compelling a friend or awkward acquaintance to select the opposite.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.

Two Brief Notes
Debut Alert: Houston’s Lance McCullers
The purpose of this brief note is to report that Houston right-hander Lance McCullers is scheduled to make his major-league debut for that same club today at 8:10pm ET. The 21-year-old McCullers was ranked sixth among Astros prospects this offseason by Kiley McDaniel, and 126th among all prospects everywhere. According to McDaniel, he features both an excellent fastball and curveball. Control has been an issue, although there’s maybe been some improvement on this front for McCullers: his 9.5% walk rate over 29.0 innings for Texas League affiliate Corpus Christi is roughly two points lower than his career minor-league mark entering the season. Not definitive, that, but encouraging — in particular when one considers that this year represents McCullers’ first at Double-A.

Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Los Angeles AL at Toronto, starts at 1:07pm 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. Note that the calculations both for team and game NERD scores have changed recently to better integrate playoff odds into same. Read more about those changes here, if you’re the sort of person accustomed to making poor life decisions.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
C.J. Wilson	LAA	3	5	4	7	4	TOR	Todd Redmond*	13:07
Mike Fiers	MIL	6	3	5	5	4	DET	Kyle Lobstein	19:08
Ru. de la Rosa	AZ	9	6	6	5	3	MIA	Dan Haren	19:10
John Lackey	STL	3	6	6	5	10	NYN	Matt Harvey	19:10
Corey Kluber	CLE	10	7	8	0	10	CHA	Chris Sale	20:10
Drew Pomeranz	OAK	4	6	7	10	10	HOU	Lance McCullers*	20:10
Cole Hamels	PHI	6	0	3	3	3	COL	Jordan Lyles	20:40

* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.