NERD Game Scores for Sunday, May 11, 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
Arizona at Chicago AL | 14:10 ET
Chase Anderson (39.0 IP, 26.0% K, 4.1% BB at Double-A) faces Hector Noesi (16.1 IP, 98 xFIP-, 0.4 WAR). The former’s difficulties as a starter in Triple-A last season suggest that concerns about his lack of armspeed might be warranted, so far as dealing with advanced hitters is concerned. What Anderson does offer, however, is a changeup that’s probably sweeter than lugduname — which compound (i.e. lugduname) appears to have been developed at the University of Lyon in 1996 and is “220,000 [to] 300,000 times as sweet as sucrose (table sugar).”

An example of said changeup:

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Arizona Radio or Television?

MLB.TV Free Game
Cleveland at Tampa Bay | 13:40 ET
Josh Tomlin (6.2 IP, 105 xFIP-, 0.1 WAR) faces Chris Archer (40.1 IP, 88 xFIP-, 1.0 WAR). If nothing else, this game serves as a pretense upon which to note that Cleveland outfielder Michael Brantley, who recorded a career-high 10 home runs last season in 611 plate appearances, has now produced seven of them (i.e. home runs) in just 150 plate appearances, even while maintaining his characteristically low strikeout rate (just 8.7%, presently).

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.

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.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Jered Weaver	LAA	3	10	6	7	8	TOR	Drew Hutchison	13:07
Samuel Deduno*	MIN	4	4	6	5	8	DET	Robbie Ray*	13:08
Juan Nicasio	COL	3	10	6	4	7	CIN	Homer Bailey	13:10
Cole Hamels*	PHI	8	2	6	2	6	NYN	Jon Niese	13:10
Edwin Jackson	CHN	4	5	5	7	5	ATL	Aaron Harang	13:35
Jarred Cosart	HOU	4	7	4	3	4	BAL	Chris Tillman	13:35
Josh Tomlin*	CLE	5	5	6	7	7	TB	Chris Archer	13:40
Chase Anderson*	AZ	13	5	8	4	5	CHA	Hector Noesi*	14:10
David Phelps*	NYA	5	4	5	6	5	MIL	Matt Garza	14:10
John Lackey	BOS	7	1	5	3	6	TEX	Robbie Ross	15:05
Gio Gonzalez	WAS	6	5	6	4	6	OAK	Scott Kazmir	16:05
Jeremy Guthrie	KC	2	2	4	4	6	SEA	Roenis Elias	16:10
Hend. Alvarez	MIA	7	8	6	4	6	SD	Robbie Erlin	16:10
Tim Hudson	SF	7	6	8	5	10	LAN	Clay. Kershaw*	16:10
Shelby Miller	STL	3	4	4	7	3	PIT	Charlie Morton	20:05

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