NERD Game Scores for September 19, 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
Boston at Baltimore | 19:05 ET
Porcello (201.2 IP, 91 xFIP-) vs. Bundy (99.2 IP, 108 xFIP-)
The AL East has been — and will remain for most of today, at least — the most tightly contested division in the majors. Here one finds two of the three principal characters in that race, Boston and Baltimore. In conclusion, this has been a brief, nearly unnecessary paragraph.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Baltimore Television.

Two Other Brief Notes
Regarding Jharel Cotton, His Low NERD Score
If there’s any evidence to the effect that the author doesn’t alter these dumb NERD scores merely to suit his own tastes, one finds it in the NERD of 2 assessed here to Oakland right-hander Jharel Cotton. A fixture among the Fringe Five both this year and last, Cotton has actually excelled at preventing runs, conceding just two earned ones of them over his first 12.0 innings as a major leaguer. What he hasn’t done yet — and what’s pretty essential for any sort of major-league career — is to strike batters out. He’s recorded only five strikeouts, in fact, leading to a 10.4% strikeout rate. The lowest mark by a qualifier this year, for reference, is Martin Perez’s 12.3% figure. It’s unlikely to remain this way for Cotton, however: the swinging-strike rate (10.2%) he’s recorded is both above average and also more predictive of future strikeout rate.

Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features St. Louis at Colorado, starts at 20:40 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.