NERD Game Scores: Lucas Giolito World Premiere
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
New York NL at Washington | 19:05 ET
Harvey (85.1 IP, 101 xFIP-) vs. Giolito (MLB Debut)
It’s probably not entirely accurate to say that tonight’s start by Lucas Giolito represents his “world” premiere. Because he’s actually pitched before, is one reason. And also because only, like, a couple million people (at most) will actually observe the event — which figure only amounts to about 0.3% of the world. On the other hand, most everything one says isn’t entirely accurate. Like, “I love you,” for example. And like, “I love you, too.”
For those interested in consuming actual substantive commentary regarding Giolito should consider reading lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen’s scouting report here and the results of Chris Mitchell’s computer math on Giolito here.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: New York NL Television.
Two Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Houston at Los Angeles AL, starts at 22:05 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.
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 | ||
| Matt Harvey | NYN | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | WAS | Lucas Giolito* | 19:05 |
| Cole Hamels | TEX | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | NYA | CC Sabathia | 19:05 |
| Rick Porcello | BOS | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | TB | Chris Archer | 19:10 |
| Jon Lester | CHN | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | CIN | John Lamb | 19:10 |
| Corey Kluber | CLE | 8 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | ATL | Matt Wisler | 19:10 |
| Adam Conley | MIA | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | DET | Mike Pelfrey | 19:10 |
| Julio Urias | LAN | 10 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | MIL | Chase Anderson | 20:10 |
| Kyle Gibson | MIN | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | CHA | Jose Quintana | 20:10 |
| Michael Wacha | STL | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | KC | Yordano Ventura | 20:15 |
| J.A. Happ | TOR | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | COL | Eddie Butler | 20:40 |
| Jerad Eickhoff | PHI | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 5 | AZ | Zack Greinke | 21:40 |
| Scott Feldman | HOU | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | LAA | Tim Lincecum* | 22:05 |
| Ubaldo Jimenez | BAL | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | SD | Erik Johnson | 22:10 |
| Jon Niese | PIT | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | SEA | Hisashi Iwakuma | 22:10 |
| Kendall Graveman | OAK | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | SF | Albert Suarez | 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.
“On the other hand, most everything one says isn’t entirely accurate. Like, ‘I love you,’ for example. And like, ‘I love you, too.'”
Guys, I think Carson is going through some stuff.