NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, June 4, 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
Boston at Cleveland | 19:05 ET
Brandon Workman (16.2 IP, 101 xFIP-, 0.4 WAR) faces Corey Kluber (80.0 IP, 67 xFIP-, 2.8 WAR). The latter recorded 60 strikeouts and just eight walks in May, which achievement (according to pensive bullfighter Jason Lukehart) makes Kluber only the 10th pitcher since 1914 to compile at least 60 strikeouts in a single month while also conceding fewer than 10 walks. The lowest career WAR of the first nine pitchers to accomplish the feat: 57.9, care of Sandy Koufax. The worst career park-adjusted ERA: Jim Kaat’s 93 ERA-. (See the full list of players via this custom leaderboard.)
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Regarding the Games Below, The Accuracy of the Pitching Probables
The author, owing to some previously scheduled travel obligations on Wednesday, has composed the entirety of this post on Tuesday evening. As a result, some of the starting pitchers listed below might be incorrect. Fortunately, this is of almost no consequence to anyone, anywhere.
Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Seattle at Atlanta, starts at 12:10pm 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.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hisashi Iwakuma | SEA | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | ATL | Mike Minor | 12:10 |
| Francisco Liriano | PIT | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 8 | SD | Ian Kennedy | 12:40 |
| Brand’n Workman* | BOS | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 10 | CLE | Corey Kluber | 19:05 |
| Jesse Chavez | OAK | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | NYA | Vidal Nuno | 19:05 |
| A.J. Burnett | PHI | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | WAS | Stephen Strasburg | 19:05 |
| R.A. Dickey | TOR | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | DET | Rick Porcello | 19:08 |
| Tom Koehler | MIA | 2 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 | TB | David Price | 19:10 |
| Ryan Vogelsong | SF | 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | CIN | Tony Cingrani | 19:10 |
| Bud Norris | BAL | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | TEX | Nick Martinez | 20:05 |
| D. Matsuzaka* | NYN | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | CHN | Edwin Jackson | 20:05 |
| Garrett Richards | LAA | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | HOU | Jarred Cosart | 20:10 |
| Marco Estrada | MIL | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MIN | Ricky Nolasco | 20:10 |
| Adam Wainwright | STL | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | KC | Jason Vargas | 20:10 |
| Josh Collmenter | AZ | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | COL | Jordan Lyles | 20:40 |
| John Danks | CHA | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | LAN | Josh Beckett | 22:10 |
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.
Aren’t apostrophes supposed to actually reduce the number of letters in a name?