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.