NERD Game Scores for Tuesday, September 29, 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
Detroit at Texas | 20:05 ET
Norris (53.1 IP, 113 xFIP-) vs. Hamels (197.1 IP, 86 xFIP-)
With the loss on Monday by Texas — plus the wins by Houston and Los Angeles — the latter two clubs trail the Rangers by only 1.5 and 2.0 games, respectively, now and all three clubs still possess at least a 15% probability of claiming the division despite the fact that the season is a mere six games from completion. It’s unlikely, the entire scenario — although not so unlikely that one is compelled to announce, while throwing his hands in the air, “You couldn’t make this stuff up!” Gabriel García Márquez, for example, could’ve probably made this stuff up pretty easily were he still alive. Also, so could probably most little brothers, given an afternoon to really explore the space.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Texas Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Other Quite Notable Affair: Los Angeles NL at San Francisco
Regardless of which methodology one prefers to utilize, there’s no scenario in which San Francisco possesses even a 3% probability of reaching the playoffs. That said, they’re in a position to forestall elimination tonight — against the same team, in Los Angeles, which currently occupies first place. Moreover, each club is throwing its best pitcher. Moreover — according to ESPN, at least — the Giants have produced the highest attendance relative to capacity this year of all clubs, as illustrated by the table below.
| TEAM | % Capacity | |
| 1 | San Francisco | 99.5% |
| 2 | St. Louis | 98.8% |
| 3 | Boston | 94.8% |
| 4 | Chicago Cubs | 88.8% |
| 5 | Kansas City | 88.2% |
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Toronto at Baltimore, starts at 19:05 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 adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Porcello | BOS | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 10 | NYA | Michael Pineda | 19:05 |
| Bartolo Colon | NYN | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | PHI | David Buchanan | 19:05 |
| Michael Wacha | STL | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | PIT | Charlie Morton | 19:05 |
| Marcus Stroman | TOR | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | BAL | Miguel Gonzalez | 19:05 |
| Dan Haren | CHN | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | CIN | Josh Smith | 19:10 |
| Adam Conley | MIA | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | TB | Matt Moore | 19:10 |
| Kyle Gibson | MIN | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | CLE | Cody Anderson | 19:10 |
| Tanner Roark | WAS | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ATL | Matt Wisler | 19:10 |
| Daniel Norris | DET | 5 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 8 | TEX | Cole Hamels | 20:05 |
| Johnny Cueto | KC | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | CHA | Jeff Samardzija | 20:10 |
| Chr. Bergman* | COL | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | AZ | Robbie Ray | 21:40 |
| Chris Bassitt | OAK | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 6 | LAA | Nick Tropeano | 22:05 |
| Mike Fiers | HOU | 3 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 6 | SEA | Vidal Nuno | 22:10 |
| Jorge Lopez* | MIL | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | SD | Tyson Ross | 22:10 |
| Clayton Kershaw | LAN | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | SF | Ma.n 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.
Since Norris has come off the DL, he has allowed 1 baserunner, and 0 baserunners. The pattern dictates he will allow -1 baserunner tonight.