NERD Game Scores for September 16, 2016

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric nobleman 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
St. Louis at San Francisco | 22:15 ET
Weaver (31.0 IP, 67 xFIP-) vs. Moore (176.2 IP, 110 xFIP-)
While members of different divisions, the Cardinals and Giants are very much involved in a zero-sum game (or nearly zero-sum game) at the moment where the 2016 postseason is concerned. Owing to a Mets club that has insisted on winning more than its fair share of games, there’s a distinct probability that only one of St. Louis and San Francisco will qualify for a wild-card spot. The Giants are the more likely of those two at this point according to the numbers. But, as a member of your local zoo-crew radio team might say, “Numbers ain’t nothin’ but a… number, I guess. Uh. Here’s the latest traffic report.” Toilet-flush sound effect. “Kapowie!” sound effect. Local auto-body commercial.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: San Francisco Radio or Television.

One Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Los Angeles NL at Arizona, starts at 21:40 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 calculations both for team and game NERD scores feature adjustment for postseason odds that increases as season progresses. Read more about those adjustments here and here.