NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, August 12, 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
Washington at Los Angeles NL | 22:10 ET
Zimmermann (141.1 IP, 102 xFIP-) vs. Kershaw (154.0 IP, 55 xFIP-)
The Nationals and Dodgers, both currently situated deep within the throes of postseason contention, have split the first two games of their important series at the latter’s home park. While, in a literal sense, the two clubs have actually participated in that pair of contests and thousands have gathered to observe them, the results have produced roughly the same effect as an alternate scenario in which neither game was played at all. Indeed, everyone involved could merely have stayed home — or dined out with friends at one of Los Angeles County’s excellent restaurants — and found the two clubs occupying basically the same place as today. Which, that awful reality noted, one notes furthermore that today’s game actually will produce a series winner, thus rendering the entire endeavor something slightly better than totally meaningless.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Broadcast with Advanced Stats
The MLB Network will experiment with a broadcast featuring advanced stats for today’s Houston and San Francisco game. It stars at 15:30 ET and features the improbably coiffed Brian Kenny among others. Indeed, FanGraphs contributor Neil Weinberg spoke with Kenny about the effort, the product of which conversation one can find here.
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features the same Astros and Giants clubs mentioned just above, 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Gausman | BAL | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 8 | SEA | Hisashi Iwakuma | 15:40 |
| Raisel Iglesias | CIN | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 7 | SD | James Shields | 15:40 |
| Aaron Nola | PHI | 7 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | AZ | Chase Anderson | 15:40 |
| Scott Feldman | HOU | 4 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 5 | SF | Chris Heston | 15:45 |
| Ed. Rodriguez | BOS | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | MIA | Adam Conley* | 16:10 |
| Aaron Brooks | OAK | 8 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 8 | TOR | R.A. Dickey | 19:07 |
| Matthew Wisler | ATL | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | TB | Jake Odorizzi | 19:10 |
| Jorge de la Rosa | COL | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 10 | NYN | Jacob deGrom | 19:10 |
| CC Sabathia | NYA | 6 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 10 | CLE | Danny Salazar | 19:10 |
| Matt Garza | MIL | 4 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 7 | CHN | Jason Hammel | 20:05 |
| Daniel Norris | DET | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | KC | Edinson Volquez | 20:10 |
| Andrew Heaney | LAA | 6 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 4 | CHA | John Danks | 20:10 |
| Nick Martinez | TEX | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MIN | Mike Pelfrey | 20:10 |
| Gerrit Cole | PIT | 10 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 9 | STL | Michael Wacha | 20:15 |
| Jo. Zimmermann | WAS | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | LAN | Clayton Kershaw | 22:10 |
* = 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.
I hope someone let Nick Martin know he’s making his big league debut in Minnesota today.
Typically, I would edit such a error — and edit it duly. Today, however, I’ll leave it — as a monument not only to my own frailties, but to everyone’s.
To air is human
This is the best response. Love it!