NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, May 28, 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
Cincinnati at Los Angeles NL | 22:10 ET
Homer Bailey (57.1 IP, 96 xFIP-, 0.2 WAR) faces Clayton Kershaw (28.1 IP, 53 xFIP-, 1.1 WAR). The latter, after recording a single-game 5.39 xFIP and conceding seven runs over 1.2 innings in Arizona (box), much more resembled his true self this last Friday in Philadelphia, during which start he produced a 9:3 strikeout-to-ratio over 6.0 decidedly scoreless innings (other box).
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL Television.
Three Brief Notes
Regarding a Question from the Unwashed Readership
In yesterday’s edition of this same thing, reader Underwood4000 inquired as to how the author, in such cases where multiple games feature that given day’s highest rating, how the author endeavors to select one of them for further consideration (such as in the case of the Reds-Dodgers context above). The answer is thus: in fact, on the relevant Master Spreadsheet, NERD game scores are rendered to the second decimal point. Today, for example, the Cincinnati-Los Angeles game features a score of 7.38, while Atlanta-Boston and Anaheim-Seattle — both rounded to a score of 7 — feature scores of 6.75 and 6.50, respectively.
Regarding the Author, His Feelings After Having Written the Above
That he has indulged himself.
Regarding Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Detroit at Oakland, starts at 10:05pm 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Morton | PIT | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | NYN | Bartolo Colon | 13:10 |
| Jarred Cosart | HOU | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | KC | Danny Duffy | 14:10 |
| Edwin Jackson | CHN | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | SF | Tim Lincecum | 15:45 |
| Jordan Lyles | COL | 5 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | PHI | Rob. Hernandez | 19:05 |
| Hen’son Alvarez | MIA | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | WAS | Blake Treinen* | 19:05 |
| Chris Archer | TB | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | TOR | Liam Hendriks* | 19:07 |
| Gavin Floyd | ATL | 8 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 7 | BOS | John Lackey | 19:10 |
| Bud Norris | BAL | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | MIL | Yovani Gallardo | 20:10 |
| T.J. House* | CLE | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | CHA | Hector Noesi | 20:10 |
| Joe Saunders* | TEX | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | MIN | Kyle Gibson | 20:10 |
| Hiroki Kuroda | NYA | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | STL | Shelby Miller | 20:15 |
| Tim Stauffer* | SD | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | AZ | Chase Anderson* | 21:40 |
| Anibal Sanchez | DET | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | OAK | Scott Kazmir | 22:05 |
| Homer Bailey | CIN | 7 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 10 | LAN | Clayton Kershaw | 22:10 |
| C.J. Wilson | LAA | 4 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 9 | SEA | Felix Hernandez | 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.
I’ve been using judgment to decide between equal NERD games. Now you’re saying that I may not have been watching the NERDiest games? This is bad.
J Zimm will pitch for the Nats tonight; Treinen’s turn is being skipped.
The “Readers’ Preferred Broadcast” for the Reds-Dodgers game is given as “Los Angeles NL Television”. This is very probably due to the announcer for Dodgers home games being Vin Scully, who dominated the FanGraphs readers’ poll that produced the ratings you used.
But Mr. Scully was ill yesterday and replaced by Charley Steiner, and one would think this is a likely result for today’s game. Readers, such as those who gave stratospheric ratings to Mr. Scully, might want to take this factor into account when choosing a method to experience today’s most highly rated game.
Regarding the Commenter, On His Imitation of Mr. Cistulli’s Writing Style
The commenter is pretty pleased with himself.
Regarding the Commenter, On Whether This Is Anything New for Him
No, not really.
All of my questions have been answered. [Sighs contentedly.] Many thanks, for this and for the daily columns.
Liam Hendricks is a 5 =p