NERD Game Scores for Thursday, August 18, 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
Houston at Baltimore | 19:05 ET
Musgrove (18.1 IP, 66 xFIP-) vs. Gausman (120.1 IP, 90 xFIP-)
The prospect of Joe Musgrove’s start tonight in Baltimore isn’t the sole reason for this game’s high score per the definitely fatuous algorithm designed by the author to measure watchability. That said, the right-hander’s early success is compelling for its relative novelty. Over his first 18.1 innings as a major leaguer (including two starts and an extended relief appearance), the 23-year-old has recorded strikeout and walk rates of 31.3% and 3.0%, respectively — figures which are generally the province either of relievers or Clayton Kershaw. Musgrove doesn’t feature overwhelming velocity, but has managed to avoid hard contact with his fastball while turning to his slider for strikeout, using that pitch on over 50% of his two-strike counts.

Musgrove used the slider to record six of the seven strikeouts in his most recent start, as documented by this video footage:

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Baltimore Television.

Just One Other Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Miami at Cincinnati, starts at 19:10 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.