NERD Game Scores for Thursday, May 29, 2014

by
May 29, 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.

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Most Highly Rated Game
Pittsburgh at Los Angeles NL | 22:10 ET
Gerrit Cole (64.2 IP, 91 xFIP-, 0.3 WAR) faces Dan Haren (62.2 IP, 89 xFIP-, 0.8 WAR). The former, according to PITCHf/x, has produced the third-highest average fastball velocity this season (95.6 mph) among 101 qualified pitchers. For a moment’s worth of amusement attempt to guess the first two pitchers by that same measure. Afterwards, resume your wild search for distractions from the abyss.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL Television.

Two Brief Notes
Regarding Shoemaker, His Success
Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker has produced a 3.24 xFIP over 16.0 innings as a starter — largely, it would seem, on the strength of his changeup, superlative examples of which pitch one can observe at the following minute marks in the video below: 0:26, 0:34, and 0:39.

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Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game hadn’t been announced as of press time, but 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.

NERD Image 4

Away   SP Tm. Gm. Tm. SP   Home Time
Nick Martinez TEX 0 3 2 4 3 MIN Samuel Deduno 13:10
Rick Porcello DET 7 5 7 6 7 OAK Jesse Chavez 15:35
Zack Wheeler NYN 7 2 5 2 5 PHI David Buchanan* 19:05
James Shields KC 6 3 7 8 8 TOR R.A. Dickey 19:07
Mike Minor ATL 6 7 4 2 2 BOS Jake Peavy 19:10
Ubaldo Jimenez BAL 4 4 4 7 3 HOU Brad Peacock 20:10
Ryan Vogelsong SF 1 6 5 3 9 STL Jaime Garcia* 20:15
Tony Cingrani CIN 3 3 3 5 2 AZ Josh Collmenter 21:40
Matt Shoemaker* LAA 7 9 5 4 3 SEA Brandon Maurer 22:10
Gerrit Cole PIT 9 6 7 6 6 LAN Dan Haren 22:10

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





 

Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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