NERD Game Scores for Monday, May 19, 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
Houston at Los Angeles AL | 22:05 ET
Dallas Keuchel (53.0 IP, 73 xFIP-, 1.2 WAR) faces Garrett Richards (52.0 IP, 81 xFIP-, 1.5 WAR). The former has produced surprisingly excellent numbers largely owing to his slider, the virtues of which pitch Eno Sarris documented recently at RotoGraphs. The latter has begun to record the sort of numbers one might expect given the quality of his repertoire — a trend which Jeff Sullivan recently examined at FanGraphs.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Houston Radio?
Two Brief Notes
Regarding Corey Kluber, One of His Virtues
Cleveland right-hander and object of an eponymous society Corey Kluber, who starts at home tonight against Detroit, has recorded the third-highest WAR among all pitchers so far this season.
Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game hadn’t been announced as of press time, but 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Leake | CIN | 5 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 10 | WAS | St. Strasburg | 19:05 |
| Drew Smyly | DET | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 9 | CLE | Corey Kluber | 19:05 |
| Wily Peralta | MIL | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | ATL | Mike Minor* | 19:10 |
| Scott Carroll | CHA | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | KC | Jason Vargas | 20:10 |
| Dallas Keuchel | HOU | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | LAA | Garrett Richards | 22:05 |
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.
How is Houston ranked so highly? Youth?
Still, this table could be summed up as, “Whatever you do, please do not watch the Royals/White Sox game tonight. You’ll regret it. No, really. Watch anything else. Maybe even cricket.”
Yeah, a combination of youth and payroll relative to the other relevant factors. Like, they’ve actually recorded the 16th-best wRC+ in the majors, for example — above the Red Sox and Cardinals among others. Which, that’s a thing.
It’s mostly pitching and defense where they’re superbad. The latter isn’t weighted as highly as hitting in the NERD formula; the former, obviously, is determined by whomever the starting pitcher is on that particular day.