NERD Game Scores for Tuesday, July 22, 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
Miami at Atlanta | 19:10 ET
Jacob Turner (63.2 IP, 102 xFIP-, 0.4 WAR) faces Mike Minor (83.1 IP, 97 xFIP-, 0.2 WAR). Despite having produced almost a precisely league-average park-adjusted xFIP as a starter, the former was removed from the rotation in mid-June after conceding what might rightly be classified as an excess of runs. A reasonably successful month in the bullpen, however, has earned him a return to starter’s duties — the burdens of which role will someday crush his spirit, because every man’s respective burdens eventually crush him.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Atlanta Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Hendricks, Second Major-League Start Ever
Right-handed Cubs prospect Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to record his second-ever major-league start tonight against San Diego. Despite conceding four runs over 6.0 innings in his debut, Hendricks exhibited more promise than not in that first start, producing an 11.6% swinging-strike rate and 104 single-game xFIP-.
Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Tampa Bay at St. Louis, starts at 8:15pm 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.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Beckett | LAN | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | PIT | Vance Worley | 19:05 |
| Yusmeiro Petit | SF | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | PHI | Rob. Hernandez | 19:05 |
| Nick Martinez | TEX | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | NYA | Chase Whitley | 19:05 |
| Jake Peavy | BOS | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | TOR | J.A. Happ | 19:07 |
| Jacob Turner | MIA | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | ATL | Mike Minor | 19:10 |
| Eric Stults | SD | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | CHN | Kyle Hendricks* | 20:05 |
| Homer Bailey | CIN | 8 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | MIL | Jimmy Nelson* | 20:10 |
| Danny Salazar | CLE | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | MIN | Yohan Pino | 20:10 |
| Bruce Chen | KC | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | CHA | Scott Carroll | 20:10 |
| Jake Odorizzi | TB | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | STL | Adam Wainwright | 20:15 |
| J. Zimmermann | WAS | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4 | COL | Yohan Flande* | 20:40 |
| Rick Porcello | DET | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | AZ | Chase Anderson | 21:40 |
| Miguel Gonzalez | BAL | 1 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | LAA | Hector Santiago | 22:05 |
| Brett Oberholtzer | HOU | 4 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | OAK | Scott Kazmir | 22:05 |
| Jacob deGrom | NYN | 7 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | SEA | Erasmo Ramirez | 22:10 |
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.
Surely, Jimmy Nelson is a more compelling pitcher than Kyle Hendricks, no? Then again, I base compelling-ness on slider movement, alone.