NERD Game Scores for Saturday, October 3, 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
Los Angeles at Texas | 13:05 ET
Santiago (176.2 IP, 124 xFIP-) vs. Lewis (200.2 IP, 115 xFIP-)
Because of the proximity of the season’s end, today’s game NERD scores are informed almost entirely now by the team NERD scores one finds below, which themselves are informed (again, owing to this time of year) almost entirely by the proximity of each club’s postseason odds to 50% (where closer to 50% is better). As a result, only three clubs — all of them members of the American League’s westernmost division — differentiate themselves in any way. And, indeed, even the Rangers’ slight advantage is negated by rounding. The matchup between Max Scherzer and Matt Harvey leads one to ask a philosophical question of sorts: “Would you prefer to observe two excellent pitchers in a meaningless game, or two lesser ones in a game of some consequence?” The answer is one of personal taste — and like all personal thoughts, ought best be hidden deep inside of you lest it’s trampled by a cruel, indifferent world.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Texas Radio.
Another Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game is every game, again, all of which 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 adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Nova | NYA | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | BAL | Wei-Yin Chen | 12:05 |
| Luis Severino | NYA | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | BAL | Ubaldo Jimenez | 19:05 |
| Yordano Ventura | KC | 9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | MIN | Tommy Milone | 13:05 |
| Hector Santiago | LAA | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | TEX | Colby Lewis | 13:05 |
| Gio Gonzalez | WAS | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | NYN | No. Syndergaard | 13:10 |
| Max Scherzer | WAS | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | NYN | Matt Harvey | 19:10 |
| Chris Rusin | COL | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | SF | Jake Peavy | 16:05 |
| Tom Koehler | MIA | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | PHI | Aaron Harang | 16:05 |
| Justin Nicolino | MIA | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | PHI | Alec Asher | TBD |
| Marco Estrada | TOR | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | TB | Chris Archer | 18:10 |
| Bran. Finnegan | CIN | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | PIT | A.J. Burnett | 19:05 |
| Craig Breslow* | BOS | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | CLE | Corey Kluber | 19:10 |
| Kyle Hendricks | CHN | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | MIL | Tyler Wagner* | 19:10 |
| Justin Verlander | DET | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | CHA | Erik Johnson | 19:10 |
| John Lackey | STL | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | ATL | Shelby Miller | 19:10 |
| Collin McHugh | HOU | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | AZ | Jer. Hellickson | 20:10 |
| Sean Nolin | OAK | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | SEA | Roenis Elias | 21:10 |
| Robbie Erlin | SD | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 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.
“…today’s game NERD scores are informed almost entirely now by the team NERD scores…”
—
Angels: 2-7-5-3 Rangers
Astros 5-7-5-3 Diamondbacks
Why is Angels Rangers the NERD game?
Because its one of 3 regular season games that still has meaning and the only one where both 2 teams truly care about the outcome.
2 teams! Caring about the outcome! Watch them do that! Today!