NERD Game Scores for Tuesday, June 23, 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
Toronto at Tampa Bay | 19:10 ET
Dickey (89.0 IP, 120 xFIP-) vs. Archer (95.0 IP, 60 xFIP-)
If the numbers possess any manner of legitimacy, it would appear as though America ought to begin acquainting itself with a new fact — namely, that Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer is among all the major leagues’ top-five pitchers in terms of preventing runs. Only the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, for example, has produced a better park-adjusted expected FIP (xFIP-) — and only three pitchers have recorded a better strikeout- and walk-rate differential.
Of course, this won’t be the case for very long. Provided Archer declines at a similar rate to other pitchers, he’s unlikely to continue exerting such considerable influence over opposing batters. Fortunately for both the viewer and Archer himself, the deleterious influence of time likely won’t be felt so acutely on Tuesday night.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Toronto Radio.
A Single, Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features St. Louis at Miami, starts at 19:10 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Wood | ATL | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 5 | WAS | Undecided | 19:05 |
| Josh Smith* | CIN | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 5 | PIT | Jeff Locke | 19:05 |
| Sean O’Sullivan | PHI | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 6 | NYA | CC Sabathia | 19:05 |
| Ubaldo Jimenez | BAL | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | BOS | Joe Kelly | 19:10 |
| David Price | DET | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 10 | CLE | Danny Salazar | 19:10 |
| Carlos Martinez | STL | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | MIA | Jose Urena | 19:10 |
| R.A. Dickey | TOR | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 10 | TB | Chris Archer | 19:10 |
| Zack Greinke | LAN | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | CHN | Jason Hammel | 20:05 |
| Jesse Chavez | OAK | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | TEX | Alex Gonzalez | 20:05 |
| Jeff Samardzija | CHA | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | MIN | Mike Pelfrey | 20:10 |
| Jon Niese | NYN | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | MIL | Mike Fiers | 20:10 |
| Chase Anderson | AZ | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | COL | Kyle Kendrick | 20:40 |
| Collin McHugh | HOU | 5 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 4 | LAA | C.J. Wilson | 22:05 |
| Jeremy Guthrie | KC | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | SEA | Mi. Montgomery | 22:10 |
| Od. Despaigne | SD | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | SF | Ma. Bumgarner | 22:15 |
* = 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.
Wondering what the aging curves look like for only the best pitchers rather than guys like Todd Van Poppel, Bruce Chen, and Jeff Suppan