NERD Game Scores for September 28, 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
Cleveland at Detroit | 19:10 ET
McAllister (50.1 IP, 106 xFIP-) vs. Fulmer (155.2 IP, 91 xFIP-)
There are only a few teams playing games of real consequence at the moment, but Detroit’s and St. Louis’s games are probably the most consequential among them. Both trail their league’s respective second-place wild-card club by just a game. Both play at home tonight, too — and are likely, as a result, to host lively partisan crowds. For those compelled to choose, Detroit’s game also offers one of the American League’s top rookies in right-handed starter Michael Fulmer.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Detroit Radio.
One Other Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Cincinnati at St. Louis, starts at 20:15 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.
| Away | SP | TM | GM | TM | SP | Home | Time | ||
| James Paxton | SEA | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | HOU | Doug Fister | 14:10 |
| Shelby Miller | AZ | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | WAS | Gio Gonzalez | 19:05 |
| Clay Buchholz | BOS | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | NYA | Bryan Mitchell | 19:05 |
| Jake Arrieta | CHN | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | PIT | Jameson Taillon | 19:05 |
| Chris Tillman | BAL | 3 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | TOR | Francisco Liriano | 19:07 |
| Zach McAllister* | CLE | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | DET | Michael Fulmer | 19:10 |
| Seth Lugo | NYN | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | MIA | Jose Urena | 19:10 |
| Adam Morgan | PHI | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 | ATL | Mike Foltynewicz | 19:10 |
| Ervin Santana | MIN | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | KC | Jason Vargas* | 19:15 |
| Chase Anderson | MIL | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | TEX | Cole Hamels | 20:05 |
| Blake Snell | TB | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | CHA | Miguel Gonzalez | 20:10 |
| Anthony DeSclafani | CIN | 6 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | STL | Mike Leake | 20:15 |
| Sonny Gray | OAK | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | LAA | Alex Meyer | 22:05 |
| Jose De Leon | LAN | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | SD | Luis Perdomo | 22:10 |
| Tyler Chatwood | COL | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | SF | Jeff Samardzija | 22:15 |
TM denotes team score.
GM denotes overall game score.
Highlighted portion denotes game of the day.
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of clueless author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
While I understand that playoff races are crucially important at this stage, it looks weird how basically all teams that have either clinched or been eliminated are basically tied for team NERD score. Feels like they should be scaled just in a lower bracket at this point (ie. the Dodgers would get a score of 5, but Philly would get a score of like 1). Just feels weird that excluding the pitchers, Cubs-Pirates ranks virtually tied with OAK-LAA.