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.

NERD Scores for May 17, 2016

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

SP denotes pitcher NERD score.
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.