NERD Game Scores for Sunday, August 17, 2014

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
Milwaukee at Los Angeles NL | 16:10 ET
Wily Peralta (151.0 IP, 98 xFIP-, 0.9 WAR) faces Dan Haren (140.0 IP, 101 xFIP-, 0.1 WAR). Milwaukee’s defeat of Clayton Kershaw et al. on Saturday (box) — in concert with losses both by Pittsburgh and St. Louis — allowed the Brewers to improve their odds of winning the NL Central by nearly 10 percentage points, from 38% to 47%. This afternoon, Americans have the opportunity to hear either Bob Uecker or Vin Scully narrate the events of this next contest between the Brewers and Trolley Dodgers.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Milwaukee Radio or Los Angeles NL Television.

Two Brief Notes
Status Update: Houston’s Robbie Grossman
Since his most recent promotion to the majors, Houston outfielder Robbie Grossman has been decidedly competent offensively. Following a game on Saturday in which he walked twice and struck out zero times at Boston, the 24-year-old outfielder has now recorded walk and strikeout rates of 17.0% and 23.7%, respectively, and four home runs and a 131 wRC+ (.333 BABIP) in 135 plate appearances since July 8th.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Toronto at Chicago AL, starts at 2:10pm 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 changes here, if you’re the sort of person accustomed to making poor life decisions.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Kevin Gausman	BAL	5	6	6	4	8	CLE	Danny Salazar	13:05
Chris Young	SEA	1	6	6	8	6	DET	Robbie Ray*	13:08
Josh Collmenter	AZ	3	3	3	4	3	MIA	Tom Koehler	13:10
Jake Arrieta	CHN	8	3	3	2	2	NYN	Rafael Montero	13:10
Collin McHugh	HOU	7	4	4	3	4	BOS	Joe Kelly	13:35
Hiroki Kuroda	NYA	3	3	3	5	2	TB	Jer. Hellickson	13:40
Jeremy Guthrie	KC	3	10	5	3	2	MIN	Tommy Milone	14:10
Drew Hutchison	TOR	6	5	4	2	1	CHA	Scott Carroll	14:10
Odris. Despaigne	SD	2	3	5	9	5	STL	Ad’m Wainwright	14:15
Hector Santiago	LAA	2	7	4	3	2	TEX	Nick Tepesch	15:05
David Buchanan	PHI	5	3	6	8	6	SF	Tim Lincecum	16:05
Mat Latos	CIN	3	3	4	4	4	COL	Jordan Lyles	16:10
Dylan Axelrod*	CIN	4	3	4	4	4	COL	Yohan Flande	21:10
Wily Peralta	MIL	7	9	6	4	5	LAN	Dan Haren	16:10
Ed. Volquez	PIT	2	8	5	4	5	WAS	Doug Fister	17:05
Jon Lester	OAK	7	7	6	6	5	ATL	Mike Minor	20:05

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.