NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, July 06, 2016
Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric nobleman 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
Baltimore at Los Angeles NL | 15:10 ET
Gausman (81.2 IP, 89 xFIP-) vs. Norris (76.1 IP, 97 xFIP-)
If one takes for granted that ballplayers enjoy winning more than losing and prefer to qualify for the postseason rather than not to qualify for it, then one might also reasonably state that the recent trade between Los Angeles and Atlanta has improved right-hander Bud Norris’s professional life. On the day of that particular transaction (June 30th), Los Angeles possessed a 79.3% probability of qualifying for the postseason in some capacity; Atlanta, much closer to 0.0%. That represents an improvement of roughly 80 percentage points. How does this compare to other players? It seems the only other recent trade of note involved Fernando Rodney. He moved, on that same day, from San Diego (0.0%) to Miami (27.7%). Still an improvement, but roughly 50 points less of an improvement than the one experienced by Norris.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL Television.
Two Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game hadn’t been announced as press time, but can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text if and when it is announced.
Broadcaster Rankings
Recently, the present author facilitated a crowdsourcing effort to reproduce the broadcaster rankings which appeared on this site roughly four years ago. The results from that effort are published here in one easily digestible post.
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 calculations both for team and game NERD scores feature adjustment for postseason odds that increases as season progresses. Read more about those adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | TM | GM | TM | SP | Home | Time | ||
| Michael Fulmer | DET | 9 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | CLE | Josh Tomlin | 12:10 |
| Tyrell Jenkins* | ATL | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | PHI | Jeremy Hellickson | 13:05 |
| Justin Nicolino | MIA | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | NYN | Jacob deGrom | 13:10 |
| Sonny Gray | OAK | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | MIN | Ervin Santana | 13:10 |
| Anthony DeSclafani | CIN | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 | CHN | Adam Warren* | 14:20 |
| Kevin Gausman | BAL | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | LAN | Bud Norris | 15:10 |
| Matt Garza | MIL | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 | WAS | Tanner Roark | 16:05 |
| Ian Kennedy | KC | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | TOR | Marcus Stroman | 19:07 |
| Jered Weaver | LAA | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | TB | Drew Smyly | 19:10 |
| Martin Perez | TEX | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | BOS | Steven Wright | 19:10 |
| Michael Pineda | NYA | 10 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | CHA | Miguel Gonzalez | 20:10 |
| Wade LeBlanc | SEA | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | HOU | Mike Fiers | 20:10 |
| Jeff Locke | PIT | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | STL | Jaime Garcia | 20:15 |
| Colin Rea | SD | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 | AZ | Shelby Miller | 21:40 |
| Jorge de la Rosa | COL | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | SF | Johnny Cueto | 22:15 |
TM denotes team score.
GM denotes overall game score.
Highlighted portion denotes game of the day.
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of clueless author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Is LeBlanc worth a shot tonight?
He’s had Moyer comps from many people around the Mariners org, with his solid first two starts even though his fastball is around 88. My gut is worried about the matchup against the Astros today though, they’re red hot.