NERD Game Scores for Sunday, June 12, 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
Detroit at New York AL | 14:05 ET
Fulmer (47.2 IP, 84 xFIP-) vs. Pineda (66.0 IP, 86 xFIP-)
One of the earliest and longest abiding lessons of field-independent metrics for the present author was the ease with which they illustrate how little control one ultimately exercises over the course of events. For those (like the author) whose personal ledgers are marked largely by failure, FIP offers some consolation. “Perhaps it isn’t entirely my fault,” one is able to say. “Perhaps it’s the merely vagaries of chance.”
By the fielding-independent metrics, Michael Fulmer was basically the same pitcher over his first four starts as his next four. His run-prevention numbers have not been identical over those two samples, however.
| Starts | IP | K% | BB% | xFIP | ERA | Diff |
| First Four | 19.1 | 23.7% | 9.7% | 3.59 | 6.52 | +2.93 |
| Next Four | 28.1 | 26.5% | 6.9% | 3.44 | 0.32 | -3.12 |
Fulmer is a talented pitcher, one for whom — by virtue both of his physical tools and youth — it’s possible to expect great things. He’s neither so indomitable nor domitable as he’s alternately appeared this season.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Detroit Radio.
Two Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features San Diego at Colorado, starts at 16:10 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 for television broadcasts are available by means of this hyperlinked text; for radio, by means of this 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 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 | ||
| Ubaldo Jimenez | BAL | 4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 10 | TOR | Aaron Sanchez | 13:07 |
| Dallas Keuchel | HOU | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | TB | Matt Moore | 13:10 |
| Kendall Graveman | OAK | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | CIN | John Lamb | 13:10 |
| Jon Lester | CHN | 6 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 7 | ATL | John Gant* | 13:35 |
| Michael Fulmer | DET | 9 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 9 | NYA | Michael Pineda | 14:05 |
| Rick Porcello | BOS | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | MIN | Pat Dean | 14:10 |
| Yordano Ventura | KC | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | CHA | Carlos Rodon | 14:10 |
| Steven Matz | NYN | 10 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | MIL | Zachary Davies | 14:10 |
| Danny Salazar | CLE | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | LAA | David Huff* | 15:35 |
| Adam Morgan | PHI | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | WAS | Joe Ross | 16:05 |
| Adam Conley | MIA | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | AZ | Robbie Ray | 16:10 |
| Christian Friedrich | SD | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | COL | Tyler Anderson* | 16:10 |
| Cole Hamels | TEX | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | SEA | Wade Miley | 16:10 |
| Mike Leake | STL | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | PIT | Jon Niese | 17:05 |
| Julio Urias | LAN | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | SF | Jake Peavy | 20:30 |
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.
Paxton appeared worthy of his NERD score of 12 (out of 10!) last night. If he goes against the Sawx on Friday, will he bust that highest, hardest NERD score glass ceiling?