NERD Game Scores for Thursday, 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.

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.

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.

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.