NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, August 6, 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
San Francisco at Milwaukee | 20:10 ET
Ryan Vogelsong (127.2 IP, 104 xFIP-, 1.6 WAR) faces Yovani Gallardo (135.2 IP, 96 xFIP-, 1.2 WAR). Entering play yesterday, the Giants and Brewers featured the first and third least certain postseason futures, respectively. Following the latter club’s 4-3 victory yesterday (box), the situation has changed slightly — insofar, that is, as the Giants and Brewers now feature the first and second least certain postseason futures, respectively. San Francisco now possesses a 48.3% chance of qualifying for the divisional series; Milwaukee, a 39.3% chance — the two figures, those, closest to 50% among the league’s 30 teams.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Basically All of Them.
Two Brief Notes
Lazy MLB Debut Report: Javier Baez
Here’s my video report on Cubs prospect Javier Baez’s major-leaugue debut:
Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features San Diego and Minnesota, starts at 1:10pm 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odris. Despaigne | SD | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | MIN | Kevin Correia | 13:10 |
| Nick Tepesch | TEX | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | CHA | Chris Sale | 14:10 |
| Jer. Hellickson* | TB | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | OAK | Sonny Gray | 15:35 |
| Julio Teheran | ATL | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 0 | SEA | Chris Young | 15:40 |
| Justin Verlander | DET | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | NYA | Chris Capuano* | 19:05 |
| Brad Peacock | HOU | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | PHI | David Buchanan | 19:05 |
| Tom Koehler | MIA | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | PIT | Jeff Locke | 19:05 |
| Jon Niese | NYN | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | WAS | Doug Fister | 19:05 |
| Wei-Yin Chen | BAL | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | TOR | Drew Hutchison | 19:07 |
| Danny Salazar | CLE | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | CIN | Mat Latos | 19:10 |
| Ryan Vogelsong | SF | 3 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 4 | MIL | Yovani Gallardo | 20:10 |
| Joe Kelly | BOS | 6 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | STL | Shelby Miller | 20:15 |
| Jake Arrieta | CHN | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | COL | Jordan Lyles | 20:40 |
| Yordano Ventura | KC | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | AZ | Josh Collmenter | 21:40 |
| Dan Haren | LAN | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | LAA | Matt Shoemaker | 22:05 |
To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Despaigne vs Correia, lowest NERD of the season so far?
Ironically, Odrisamer Despaigne Orue has a Cool Name NERD score of 12.