NERD Game Scores for Wednesday, September 9, 2015

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.

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Most Highly Rated Game
New York NL at Washington | 19:05 ET
deGrom (169.0 IP, 78 xFIP-) vs. Strasburg (91.0 IP, 82 xFIP-)
After last night’s unsightly debacle — a game the club lost despite holding, at one point, something better than a 99% win expectancy — the Nationals are not unlike a friend who’s just recently learned of his wife’s multiple infidelities. Unavoidably, your first encounter with him after these revelations will be an uncomfortable and awkward one. Also, he might have to sleep on your couch. Likewise, observing the Washingtons this evening might be uncomfortable. And likewise, they might need to sleep on the 25 couches you have.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: New York NL Television.

Another Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features San Francisco at Arizona, starts at 21:40 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 adjustments here and here.

NERD Image 4

Away   SP Tm. Gm. Tm. SP   Home Time
Jon Lester CHN 7 5 6 6 10 STL Carlos Martinez 13:45
Julio Teheran ATL 5 3 3 3 2 PHI David Buchanan 19:05
Ubaldo Jimenez BAL 6 4 7 10 5 NYA CC Sabathia 19:05
Jacob deGrom NYN 10 5 7 5 10 WAS St. Strasburg 19:05
Jake Odorizzi TB 6 4 4 4 3 DET Kyle Lobstein 19:08
Ariel Pena* MIL 6 4 4 4 3 MIA Tom Koehler 19:10
J.A. Happ PIT 5 6 5 4 3 CIN Keyvius Sampson 19:10
Drew Hutchison TOR 7 10 7 4 6 BOS Joe Kelly 19:10
Josh Tomlin CLE 8 4 5 4 7 CHA Jeff Samardzija 20:10
Mike Pelfrey MIN 3 6 5 4 7 KC Kris Medlen 20:10
Chris Rusin COL 5 4 4 4 6 SD James Shields 21:10
Chris Heston SF 4 4 4 4 2 AZ Zachary Godley 21:40
Collin McHugh HOU 5 10 7 4 6 OAK Aaron Brooks 22:05
Mat Latos LAN 6 4 5 5 7 LAA Garrett Richards 22:05
Martin Perez TEX 6 10 7 4 5 SEA Vidal Nuno 22:10

* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.





Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

8 Comments
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durn
9 years ago

I was so sure that the Nationals would play well against the Mets out of sheer force of will. It’s amazing to watch this team fail this way.

Well-Wined Englishman
9 years ago
Reply to  durn

The Cistulli blurb is 100% accurate.

This series, in general, has seemed like both teams really, really want to lose.

The incredible thing is that Washington has had grand slams (of the big-league or little-league variety) in both matches.

durn
9 years ago

I just don’t ever see these teams, as constructed, making a serious playoff run. They just don’t play on the same level as those NL West Teams. Also, there’s no way I think they could beat the Royals, Blue Jays, or any seriously contending AL team in the WS.

Not based on any sort of evidence, but it just seems like something missing. I know this isn’t the place to put “gut feelings” but…there you go.

Za
9 years ago
Reply to  durn

The Mets, with a weaker team, have handled the West just fine. They won the season series against the Dodgers and split the series against the Giants, both with a much weaker team than what they have now. It’s like you’re not even trying.

Za
9 years ago
Reply to  durn

The Mets split with the Jays too, and also with a much weaker team.