NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, August 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
Atlanta at Pittsburgh | 19:05 ET
Alex Wood (123.0 IP, 90 xFIP-, 1.5 WAR) faces Gerrit Cole (85.2 IP, 96 xFIP-, 0.7 WAR). Of some note regarding these two: they’re the same age (23), have recorded the same precise park-adjusted xFIP (88 xFIP-) and WAR (3.1), and have done all that in almost the same precise number of major-league innings (200.2 and 203.0, respectively).

Regard, those figures (and others) rendered in table form:

Of some other note regarding these two, as well: while the former (i.e. Wood) was omitted from most (all?) top-100 prospect lists, the latter generally occupied a place among the top-10 players on those same lists in both 2012 and -13. What ought one to conclude from this? That our painful labors are unnecessary and fruitless? No. Rather, one should enjoy him- or herself watching this game, which features two clubs that possess declining, but still real, odds of qualifying for playoffs.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Atlanta Radio.

Two Brief Notes
Recall Alert: Erisbel Arruebarruena
The purpose of this alert is to note that Cuban emigre and Dodgers shortstop-type Erisbel Arruebarruena was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque yesterday and also started at shortstop, which he’ll continue to do probably until Hanley Ramirez (oblique) returns. Arruebarruena has recorded an alarming strikeout rate of 32.1% (and walk rate of just 5.9%) in 237 plate appearances across four minor-league levels this season.

Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features the New York Nationals at Oakland, starts at 3:35pm 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 changes here, if you’re the sort of person accustomed to making poor life decisions.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Nick Martinez	TEX	0	3	4	4	8	MIA	Nathan Eovaldi	12:40
James Paxton	SEA	10	6	6	3	7	PHI	Cole Hamels	13:05
R.A. Dickey	TOR	10	4	7	9	5	MIL	Jimmy Nelson	14:10
Zack Wheeler	NYN	7	2	6	8	7	OAK	Jeff Samardzija	15:35
Trevor Cahill	AZ	5	3	4	4	5	WAS	Tanner Roark	19:05
Alex Wood	ATL	7	8	7	6	8	PIT	Gerrit Cole	19:05
Scott Feldman	HOU	1	4	4	3	6	NYA	Michael Pineda	19:05
Rick Porcello	DET	5	9	6	4	7	TB	Jake Odorizzi	19:10
Garrett Richards	LAA	9	7	5	3	3	BOS	Clay Buchholz	19:10
Johnny Cueto	CIN	8	2	5	8	4	STL	Lance Lynn	19:15
Jake Peavy	SF	2	8	5	4	4	CHN	Edwin Jackson	20:05
Wei-Yin Chen	BAL	6	5	4	3	4	CHA	Hector Noesi	20:10
T.J. House	CLE	8	4	4	3	4	MIN	Ricky Nolasco	20:10
Danny Duffy	KC	3	9	5	4	2	COL	Jorge de la Rosa	20:40
Eric Stults	SD	4	3	3	4	1	LAN	Rob. Hernandez	22:10

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