NERD Game Scores for Thursday, October 1, 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
Los Angeles AL at Texas | 20:05 ET
Heaney (101.1 IP, 106 xFIP-) vs. Holland (52.1 IP, 109 xFIP-)
By whichever methodology one cares to utilize, the Rangers currently possess a probability greater than 90% of winning the American’s Leagues most westerly division. Because the Angels have at least a chance of sweeping Texas, however — and therefore of gaining the division for themselves — this series opener offers the illusion of hope. The author is quoting Emily Dickinson, naturally, when he suggests that hope is the thing with feathers — and Guns N’ Roses, just as naturally, when observing that an illusion is something one ought to use.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Texas Radio.
Another Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features New York NL at Philadelphia, starts at 12:05 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 adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. Gilmartin* | NYN | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | PHI | Jerad Eickhoff | 12:05 |
| Dr. Hutchison | TOR | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | BAL | Tyler Wilson | 12:05 |
| Jason Hammel | CHN | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | CIN | John Lamb | 12:35 |
| Brett Anderson | LAN | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | SF | Tim Hudson | 15:45 |
| Tay. Jungmann | MIL | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | SD | Ian Kennedy | 18:40 |
| Rich Hill | BOS | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | NYA | CC Sabathia | 19:05 |
| Jose Fernandez | MIA | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | TB | Jake Odorizzi | 19:10 |
| Tyler Duffey | MIN | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | CLE | Trevor Bauer | 19:10 |
| St. Strasburg | WAS | 10 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | ATL | Ryan Weber | 19:10 |
| And. Heaney | LAA | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | TEX | Derek Holland | 20:05 |
| Kris Medlen | KC | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | CHA | John Danks | 20:10 |
| David Hale | COL | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | AZ | Patrick Corbin | 21:40 |
* = 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.
My shoulder’s acting up today. Let us pray that I don’t have to see Dr. Hutchison.