NERD Game Scores for Saturday, May 31, 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
Atlanta at Miami | 16:10 ET
Ervin Santana (57.2 IP, 85 xFIP-, 0.9 WAR) faces Jacob Turner (33.2 IP, 100 xFIP-, 0.1 WAR) in a contest that features two of the league’s most appealing clubs, according to the probably wrong metric devised by the author. The Atlantans, for their part, have produced the league’s most excellent relief pitching numbers and second-best defensive-run figures; the Miamis, a cumulative hitting line among the league’s top third despite featuring a roster which earns that same league’s lowest collective payroll.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Atlanta Radio.

Two Brief Notes
Regarding Marcus Stroman, How It’s His First Major-League Start
Right-handed Toronto prospect Marcus Stroman, whose relatively diminutive stature every baseball writer (including the present one) is compelled to invoke by order of the BBWAA, makes his first major-league start today at home against Kansas City. He’s recorded strikeout and walk rates of 30.8% and 6.2%, respectively, over 35.2 innings at Triple-A Buffalo.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features New York Nationals and Philadelphia, starts at 3:05pm 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
Nick Tepesch*	TEX	6	2	5	6	5	WAS	Doug Fister	12:05
Kevin Correia	MIN	1	4	5	5	10	NYA	Masahiro Tanaka	13:05
Aaron Brooks*	KC	4	3	6	8	8	TOR	Marcus Stroman*	13:07
Tyson Ross	SD	7	6	5	3	4	CHA	Andre Rienzo	14:10
Yusmeiro Petit	SF	5	6	7	3	10	STL	Michael Wacha	14:15
Franklin Morales	COL	2	8	5	5	7	CLE	Trevor Bauer*	15:05
Jacob deGrom*	NYN	5	2	3	1	1	PHI	Kyle Kendrick	15:05
Ervin Santana	ATL	8	7	8	9	7	MIA	Jacob Turner	16:10
Chris Tillman	BAL	3	4	6	6	9	HOU	Dallas Keuchel	16:10
Jason Hammel	CHN	6	5	7	6	8	MIL	Wily Peralta	16:10
Bran. Cumpton*	PIT	5	6	6	6	7	LAN	Hyun-Jin Ryu	19:15
Jake Odorizzi	TB	6	6	6	2	7	BOS	Rubby de la Rosa*	19:15
Tyler Skaggs	LAA	6	9	5	6	1	OAK	Tommy Milone	22:05
Johnny Cueto	CIN	8	3	7	5	9	AZ	Brandon McCarthy	22:10
Drew Smyly	DET	4	5	3	4	0	SEA	Chris Young	22:10

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