NERD Game Scores for Sunday, May 3, 2015

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 Los Angeles NL | 16:05 ET
C. Anderson (23.1 IP, 93 xFIP-) vs. B. Anderson (19.2 IP, 100 xFIP-)
It would appear to be almost a certainty that a major-league pitcher named Anderson will record a win in this game; however, it really does only appear that way. What that claim ignores are those occasions on which a starter isn’t responsible for the decision. Indeed, one finds that, in 2014, pitchers were only assessed decisions on 3425 of the 4860 games they started. Using that precedent, one might more reasonably suggest that there’s approximately a 70% chance that a pitcher named Anderson will record a win today. This, of course, ignores any specific variables regarding the actual pitchers or teams participating. But those considerations — like most other considerations — are outside the purview of this brief post.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL.

Two Brief Notes
Debut Alert
Red Sox prospect Blake Swihart made his major-league debut for that same club yesterday. The 23-year-old catcher was ranked first overall among Boston prospects by Kiley McDaniel this past offseason and ninth overall among all prospects. With Ryan Hanigan expected to remain out until the All Star break, Swihart will assume starter’s duties for the time being.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Toronto at Cleveland, starts at 1:10pm 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
Sev. Gonzalez*	PHI	3	1	4	5	6	MIA	Jarred Cosart	13:10
Dr. Hutchison	TOR	6	7	7	6	7	CLE	Trevor Bauer	13:10
Doug Fister	WAS	3	4	6	7	10	NYN	Dillon Gee	13:10
Johnny Cueto	CIN	10	6	7	3	5	ATL	Julio Teheran	13:35
Nate Karns	TB	4	4	4	6	2	BAL	Wei-Yin Chen	13:35
John Danks	CHA	6	1	4	2	4	MIN	Mike Pelfrey	14:10
Anibal Sanchez	DET	7	5	5	7	3	KC	Jeremy Guthrie	14:10
J.A. Happ	SEA	7	6	7	10	5	HOU	Ro.to Hernandez	14:10
Vance Worley	PIT	5	6	6	5	8	STL	Michael Wacha	14:15
Jimmy Nelson	MIL	6	2	6	6	9	CHN	Jason Hammel	14:20
Sonny Gray	OAK	7	6	6	3	7	TEX	Yovani Gallardo	15:05
Jered Weaver	LAA	5	4	5	3	5	SF	Tim Lincecum	16:05
Chas. Anderson	AZ	7	6	7	8	7	LAN	Brett Anderson	16:10
Kyle Kendrick	COL	2	4	5	3	9	SD	James Shields	16:10
Adam Warren	NYA	3	6	6	5	10	BOS	Joe Kelly	20:05

* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.