NERD Game Scores for Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric nobleman 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
Washington at New York NL | 19:10 ET
Scherzer (52.0 IP, 78 xFIP-) vs. Syndergaard (46.1 IP, 60 xFIP-)
One doesn’t require an unusually complex and only modestly useful algorithm to identify this evening’s encounter between Max Scherzer and Noah Syndergaard as the day’s most compelling. That said, the world is populated by a number of things one doesn’t expressly require — and which persist nevertheless. Like an attractive Jøtul-brand cast-iron stove in the corner of the living room, for example. Or like a table constructed from gas pipe and reclaimed pallet wood that you bought on Etsy and really brings the kitchen together. In conclusion: industrial-chic mailbox, brushed-nickel floating house numbers, strikeouts, average fastball velocity, and primitive entry door with strap hinges.
Two Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Miami at Philadelphia, starts at 19:05 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.
Broadcaster Rankings
Recently, the present author began the process of process of reproducing the broadcaster rankings which appeared on this site roughly four years ago. Cast ballots for television broadcasts here; for radio broadcasts, here.
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 calculations both for team and game NERD scores feature adjustment for postseason odds that increases as season progresses. Read more about those adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | TM | GM | TM | SP | Home | Time | ||
| Alfredo Simon | CIN | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | CLE | Danny Salazar | 18:10 |
| Aaron Blair | ATL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | PIT | Juan Nicasio | 19:05 |
| Wei-Yin Chen | MIA | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 | PHI | Vincent Velasquez | 19:05 |
| Wade Miley | SEA | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | BAL | Ubaldo Jimenez | 19:05 |
| Chris Archer | TB | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 | TOR | Marcus Stroman | 19:07 |
| Phil Hughes | MIN | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | DET | Mike Pelfrey | 19:10 |
| Max Scherzer | WAS | 10 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 10 | NYN | Noah Syndergaard | 19:10 |
| Kyle Hendricks | CHN | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | MIL | Chase Anderson | 20:10 |
| Dallas Keuchel | HOU | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | CHA | Carlos Rodon | 20:10 |
| Rick Porcello | BOS | 6 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | KC | Yordano Ventura | 20:15 |
| Chad Bettis | COL | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | STL | Jaime Garcia | 20:15 |
| Michael Pineda | NYA | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | AZ | Zack Greinke | 21:40 |
| Cole Hamels | TEX | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | OAK | Jesse Hahn | 22:05 |
| Jered Weaver | LAA | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 10 | LAN | Clayton Kershaw | 22:10 |
| Madison Bumgarner | SF | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | SD | Colin Rea | 22:10 |
TM denotes team score.
GM denotes overall game score.
Highlighted portion denotes game of the day.
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of clueless author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Was there ever a bigger margin between #1 and #2 NERD score on a day with a normal-size slate of games?
PS – if you ever wanted to put NERD scores in the Glossary, this table might be a great cherry-picked example to show NERD doing what it was intended to do.