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.