NERD Game Scores for Saturday, May 16, 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
Washington at San Diego | 20:40 ET
Scherzer (49.2 IP, 77 xFIP-) vs. Cashner (44.0 IP, 87 xFIP-)
Over the first seven starts of his 2015 season, Washington right-hander Max Scherzer has produced roughly the same strikeout rate that he recorded over his three most recent years in Detroit while also somehow halving his walk rate. Neil Weinberg examined some potential explanations for this development on Friday for the electronic pages. As one might expect, it’s some combination of irresponsible and impossible to reach any firm conclusions on the matter. Here’re two notable and possibly related developments, however: Scherzer is (a) throwing his fastball more often and also (b) inducing more swings at pitches out of the zone. The reader is invited to look for evidence of these trends during Scherzer’s start this evening. Also, because it’s a Saturday in late May, the reader is also probably invited to a graduation party for a relative or family friend.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Washington Radio.
Another Single Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Washington at San Diego, starts at 8:40pm 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Wood | ATL | 7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MIA | Mat Latos | 13:00 |
| Alex Colome | TB | 10 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 8 | MIN | Trevor May | 14:10 |
| David Price | DET | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | STL | Tyler Lyons* | 14:15 |
| Gerrit Cole | PIT | 10 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | CHN | Jon Lester | 16:05 |
| Archie Bradley | AZ | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | PHI | Jerome Williams | 19:05 |
| M. Shoemaker | LAA | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | BAL | Bud Norris | 19:05 |
| Matt Garza | MIL | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | NYN | Jacob deGrom | 19:10 |
| CC Sabathia | NYA | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | KC | Danny Duffy | 19:10 |
| Ry. Vogelsong | SF | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | CIN | Mike Leake | 19:10 |
| Marco Estrada* | TOR | 4 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 6 | HOU | Scott Feldman | 19:10 |
| Danny Salazar | CLE | 10 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 4 | TEX | Colby Lewis | 20:05 |
| Max Scherzer | WAS | 10 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 9 | SD | Andrew Cashner | 20:40 |
| John Danks | CHA | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | OAK | Jesse Chavez | 21:05 |
| Rick Porcello | BOS | 7 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 9 | SEA | Felix Hernandez | 21:10 |
| Jo. de la Rosa | COL | 8 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 6 | LAN | Zack Greinke | 21:10 |
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Feldman getting a six, Carson? Cmon, man. I’m an Astros fan and he’s so slow and unexciting.
That sounds like a 6 then.
Then he goes and strikes out 10.
Whatever.