NERD Game Scores for Thursday, September 4, 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
Detroit at Cleveland | 19:05 ET
Max Scherzer (187.2 IP, 78 xFIP-, 4.8 WAR) faces Trevor Bauer (124.0 IP, 107 xFIP-, 1.5 WAR). The American League’s Central division remains a source of no little intrigue. Following Cleveland’s victory over Detroit yesterday, for example — in conjunction with a Kansas City win, as well — the Tigers and Royals now feature nearly identical odds both of winning the division and also qualifying for the ALDS. Cleveland, not so much — although, with their curiously suspended game likely to result in another win, they’re not entirely negligible, either, as a playoff contender.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland or Detroit Radio.
Single Brief Note
Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Cincinnati at Baltimore, starts at 7:05pm 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B. Workman | BOS | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | NYA | Chris Capuano | 19:05 |
| Mike Leake | CIN | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | BAL | Chris Tillman | 19:05 |
| Max Scherzer | DET | 9 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 5 | CLE | Trevor Bauer | 19:05 |
| Mark Buehrle | TOR | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | TB | Jake Odorizzi | 19:10 |
| Roenis Elias | SEA | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | TEX | Robbie Ross | 20:05 |
| H. Santiago | LAA | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | MIN | Kyle Gibson | 20:10 |
| Michael Wacha | STL | 9 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | MIL | Wily Peralta | 20:10 |
| Rand. Delgado* | AZ | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | SD | Ian Kennedy | 21:10 |
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.
Dear Mr. Cistulli,
With the unwelcome demise of Notgraphs, may I suggest fastgraphs. In that iteration of fangraphs, we would welcome pitchers who move the game along rather than only those who simply strike out 1 in every 3 or 4 batters at a languorous pace.
Chris Capuano is less watchable than Mark Buehrle. Reform NERD now!
Yours truly,
Mike