NERD Game Scores for Tuesday, April 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
Atlanta at Miami | 19:10 ET
Alex Wood (35.0 IP, 67 xFIP-, 0.7 WAR) faces Jose Fernandez (31.2 IP, 44 xFIP-, 1.2 WAR) in a rematch of last Tuesday’s entirely splendid contest featuring these same exact pitchers (box). After playing in front of what is arguably the majors’ second-best center-field camera last Tuesday, the clubs — which meet in Miami this time — once again play in front of arguably the majors’ second-best center-field camera.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Atlanta Radio.
MLB.TV Free Game
Detroit at Chicago AL | 20:10 ET
Justin Verlander (33.0 IP, 109 xFIP-, 1.0 WAR) faces Jose Quintana (30.0 IP, 97 xFIP-, 0.3 WAR). Despite having recorded less excellent defense-independent numbers than usual thus far, the former has prevented runs at a rate on par with established levels. Perhaps of note regarding Verlander, as well, or perhaps not: per Baseball Savant, he’s thrown only 28 of his 559 total pitches (i.e. 5%) at 95 mph or higher. By comparison, he threw nearly 14% of his pitches that fast in 2013.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Detroit Radio.
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 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jon Niese | NYN | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 8 | PHI | Cole Hamels* | 19:05 |
Charlie Morton | PIT | 3 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | BAL | Chris Tillman | 19:05 |
Chris Young* | SEA | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | NYA | CC Sabathia | 19:05 |
Alex Wood | ATL | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | MIA | Jose Fernandez | 19:10 |
Jeff Samardzija | CHN | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | CIN | Alfredo Simon | 19:10 |
Erik Bedard* | TB | 3 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 9 | BOS | John Lackey | 19:10 |
Scott Kazmir | OAK | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | TEX | Martin Perez | 20:05 |
Justin Verlander | DET | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | CHA | Jose Quintana | 20:10 |
Zack Greinke | LAN | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | MIN | Kyle Gibson | 20:10 |
Dustin McGowan* | TOR | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | KC | Jason Vargas | 20:10 |
Gio Gonzalez | WAS | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | HOU | Jarred Cosart | 20:10 |
Kyle Lohse | MIL | 5 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 | STL | Lance Lynn | 20:15 |
Tyler Chatwood* | COL | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | AZ | Mike Bolsinger* | 21:40 |
Corey Kluber | CLE | 7 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 1 | LAA | Jered Weaver | 22:05 |
Eric Stults | SD | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | SF | Matt Cain | 22:15 |
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.
I’m not quite sure which game you’re recommending that we watch tonight. Really tough decision for baseball fans. Should fans watch the game with the higher NERD score? The game with the best story based on recency bias? Or the game with a good center-field camera? Or perhaps the game featuring last year’s RoY winner and leading contender for this year’s Cy Young facing off against the team with the second best record in baseball?
Glad you break this down for us, Carson, cause knowing what game is the best to watch is often very difficult as can be seen on a night like tonight.