NERD Game Scores for Saturday, September 19, 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
Oakland at Houston | 19:10 ET
Gray (196.2 IP, 91 xFIP-) vs. Kazmir (171.1 IP, 98 xFIP-)
Despite their largely disastrous four-game series at Texas recently, Houston still retains the distinction of being the second-place club in closest proximity to their respective division’s first-place club. It’s not the sort of distinction that fits comfortably on a desk name plate — indeed, such an inscription would like require a surcharge of some sort — but it’s significant to the extent that it suggests the Astros needn’t be entirely resigned to merely a wild-card spot. Tonight’s game represents an opportunity to aid in their pursuit of a division title.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Houston Radio.
Another Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Los Angeles AL at Minnesota, starts at 19:10 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 adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Pineda | NYA | 10 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 10 | NYN | No. Syndergaard | 13:05 |
| Michael Wacha | STL | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | CHN | Travis Wood | 13:05 |
| Andrew Heaney | LAA | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | MIN | Kyle Gibson | 13:10 |
| Garrett Richards | LAA | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | MIN | Mike Pelfrey | 19:10 |
| Patrick Corbin | AZ | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | SF | Mike Leake | 16:05 |
| Justin Nicolino | MIA | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | WAS | Jo. Zimmermann | 16:05 |
| Wade Miley | BOS | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | TOR | R.A. Dickey | 16:07 |
| Wei-Yin Chen | BAL | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | TB | Erasmo Ramirez | 18:10 |
| Edinson Volquez | KC | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | DET | Matt Boyd | 19:08 |
| Carlos Rodon | CHA | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 10 | CLE | Carlos Carrasco | 19:10 |
| Josh Smith | CIN | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | MIL | Taylor Jungmann | 19:10 |
| Sonny Gray | OAK | 6 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 5 | HOU | Scott Kazmir | 19:10 |
| Jerad Eickhoff | PHI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ATL | Ryan Weber | 19:10 |
| Vidal Nuno | SEA | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | TEX | Cole Hamels | 20:05 |
| Robbie Erlin* | SD | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | COL | Yohan Flande | 20:10 |
| Francisco Liriano | PIT | 8 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 10 | LAN | Clayton Kershaw | 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.