NERD Game Scores for Tuesday, May 20, 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
New York AL at Chicago NL | 19:10 ET
Masahiro Tanaka (58.0 IP, 58 xFIP-, 1.6 WAR) faces Jason Hammel (53.0 IP, 96 xFIP-, 0.9 WAR). The former has produced the second-best park-adjusted xFIP among all qualified starters, and the absolute best park-adjusted xFIP among all qualified starters who haven’t also recently destroyed both their UCLs and, while so doing, the illusions of many who believed in the permanence of beauty.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Chicago NL Television.

Three Brief Notes
Regarding Anthony DeSclafani, His Recent Debut
Making his major-league debut last week in place of the injured Jose Fernandez, Miami right-hander Anthony DeSclafani recorded a single-game 2.34 xFIP at the Los Angeles Dodgers (box). He starts today against Philadelphia.

Regarding Drew Pomeranz, His Work as a Starter
In his two starts this season, which also account for both of his last two appearances, left-hander Drew Pomeranz has produced a 13:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 10.0 innings and a 1.60 xFIP.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Baltimore at Pittsburgh, starts at 7:05pm 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
Mig. Gonzalez	BAL	2	3	5	7	7	PIT	Francisco Liriano	19:05
Johnny Cueto	CIN	9	3	7	5	6	WAS	Doug Fister*	19:05
Justin Verlander	DET	3	5	5	5	6	CLE	Trevor Bauer*	19:05
Josh Beckett	LAN	4	6	5	2	6	NYN	Rafael Montero*	19:10
Yovani Gallardo	MIL	2	5	4	6	5	ATL	Julio Teheran	19:10
D. Pomeranz*	OAK	8	6	7	6	6	TB	Jake Odorizzi	19:10
A.J. Burnett	PHI	2	2	5	8	9	MIA	Ant’ny DeSclafani*	19:10
J.A. Happ*	TOR	3	6	3	2	2	BOS	Felix Doubront	19:10
Masahiro Tanaka	NYA	10	6	7	5	5	CHN	Jason Hammel	20:05
Hisashi Iwakuma	SEA	7	5	5	2	5	TEX	Colby Lewis	20:05
Andre Rienzo	CHA	1	2	5	3	10	KC	Yordano Ventura	20:10
Bronson Arroyo	AZ	4	6	5	2	6	STL	Adam Wainwright	20:15
M. Bumgarner	SF	7	6	5	9	2	COL	Franklin Morales	20:40
Scott Feldman	HOU	1	8	5	9	6	LAA	Tyler Skaggs	22:05
Kevin Correia	MIN		3	4	5	8	SD	Ian Kennedy	22:10

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.