NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, May 18, 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
Tampa Bay at Toronto | 19:07 ET
Odorizzi (44.2 IP, 99 xFIP-) vs. Dickey (48.0 IP, 104 xFIP-)
Apart from whatever merits he possesses as a ballplayer, Jake Odorizzi has this other virtue, too — namely, that his name facilitates a brief, phonetics-based Italian lesson. In the States, Odorizzi is the name of a right-handed pitcher. This is self-evident. In Italy, however, “Odorizzi” is something different. Regard: odiare is the verb “to hate.” Riso, meanwhile, is the singular form of the noun signifying either “laughter” or “rice.” Put together, odio risi (OH-dee-oh REETS-ee) means “I hate rices” or “I hate laughters.” The two sentiments are more useful than one might suppose: the average American tourist finds that communicating his or her distaste for rice and laughter composes about 40% of all conversations.

Two Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Houston at the Chicago Americans, starts at 20:10 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.

Broadcaster Rankings
Recently, the present author began the process of process of reproducing the broadcaster rankings which appeared on this site roughly four years ago. The second installment of the results from that effort appeared yesterday.

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.

NERD Scores for May 18, 2016

Away		SP	TM	GM	TM	SP		Home	Time
Tom Koehler	MIA	0	6	4	3	6	PHI	Jeremy Hellickson	13:05
Ricky Nolasco	MIN	6	6	5	4	5	DET	Justin Verlander	13:10
Steven Wright	BOS	9	8	6	4	3	KC	Ian Kennedy	14:15
David Price	BOS	9	8	6	4	4	KC	Edinson Volquez	20:15
Martin Perez	TEX	3	4	5	5	6	OAK	Rich Hill	15:35
Julio Teheran	ATL	4	1	4	5	6	PIT	Francisco Liriano	19:05
Taijuan Walker	SEA	10	5	6	6	4	BAL	Chris Tillman	19:05
Jake Odorizzi	TB	5	7	7	4	10	TOR	R.A. Dickey	19:07
Mike Clevinger*	CLE	7	5	5	3	3	CIN	Brandon Finnegan	19:10
Gio Gonzalez	WAS	3	6	6	7	7	NYN	Bartolo Colon	19:10
John Lackey	CHN	8	8	6	4	3	MIL	Jimmy Nelson	20:10
Doug Fister	HOU	3	6	3	4	0	CHA	Mat Latos	20:10
Chris Rusin	COL	7	4	5	6	4	STL	Adam Wainwright	20:15
Nathan Eovaldi	NYA	10	4	5	8	0	AZ	Shelby Miller	21:40
Mike Bolsinger*	LAN	6	5	4	2	4	LAA	Nick Tropeano	22:05
Johnny Cueto	SF	7	4	6	5	6	SD	Drew Pomeranz	22:10

SP denotes pitcher NERD score.
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.