NERD Game Scores for Thursday, June 11, 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
Seattle at Cleveland | 12:10 ET
Happ (65.1 IP, 98 xFIP-) vs. Marcum (26.0 IP, 103 xFIP-)
As bearded philosopher-king Owen Watson demonstrated recently in the electronic pages, Cleveland’s rotation this season is producing strikeouts at an historical rate — even after adjusting for how the whole league is already producing strikeouts at an historical rate. Curiously, that’s not the immediate appeal of this game. Indeed, right-hander Shaun Marcum’s 24.1% strikeout rate as a starter does compare favorably to the league as whole, but ranks only fifth among starters on the club. The appeal, rather — according to the dubious methodology used by the author — lies in Cleveland’s batting corps, a group that has hit and run the bases at levels roughly one and two standard deviations, respectively, above the league average. Moreover, one finds that they control the strike zone excellently, having produced the league’s lowest collective swing rate at pitches out of the zone, but the third-highest rate of contact overall.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Perpetually Looping Video: Vincent Velasquez’s Whole Repertoire
Right-handed Houston prospect Vincent Velasquez debuted for that same club last night, recording five strikeouts against 20 batters over 5.0 innings (box). What follows is a constantly looping video featuring his fastball, breaking ball, and changeup.
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features San Diego at Atlanta, starts at 12:10 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 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| And. Cashner | SD | 9 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | ATL | Julio Teheran | 12:10 |
| J.A. Happ | SEA | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | CLE | Shaun Marcum | 12:10 |
| CC Gonzalez | TEX | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | OAK | Scott Kazmir | 15:35 |
| Wade Miley | BOS | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | BAL | Chris Tillman | 19:05 |
| Chris Rusin | COL | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | MIA | David Phelps | 19:10 |
| Gar’t Richards | LAA | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | TB | Alex Colome | 19:10 |
| Tim Lincecum | SF | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | NYN | Jon Niese | 19:10 |
| Mi. Lorenzen | CIN | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | CHN | Tsuyoshi Wada | 20:05 |
| Tanner Roark | WAS | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | MIL | Matt Garza | 20:10 |
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Shaun Marcum vs. JA Happ as the most interesting matchup of the night feels SO 2010.