NERD Game Scores: Yanks-M’s Contest of Little Not Urgency
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
Seattle at New York AL | 13:05 ET
Iwakuma (29.1 IP, 99 xFIP-) vs. Pineda (106.1 IP, 67 xFIP-)
Four of the league’s top-10 qualifiers by park-adjusted xFIP are scheduled to start today: Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Francisco Liriano, and Pineda. Among them, Pineda is the only one expected to participate in a game featuring two clubs (his own and his opponent’s) each currently possessing playoff odds between 10% and 90%. Which, that’s a reasonable way, probably, to measure the “urgency” or “leverage” of a game — i.e. by identifying those games which offer clubs in something resembling contention. On the other hand, it’s possible that a reader might find the Dodgers-Nationals game more compelling — that is, a game which features two clubs almost certain to qualify for the postseason. What one finds, ultimately, is that neither option is right, all is relative, and there’s little consequence to anything.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Seattle Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Perpetually Looping Video: Robbie Ray Throwing 95 MPH
Last night, Robbie Ray struck out over a third of the 23 San Francisco batters he faced. Here’s footage of three of those strikeouts, all featuring a 95 mph fastball.
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Baltimore at Detroit, starts at 19:08 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 changes here, if you’re the sort of person accustomed to making poor life decisions.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hisashi Iwakuma | SEA | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | NYA | Michael Pineda | 13:05 |
| Erasmo Ramirez | TB | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | TOR | R.A. Dickey | 13:07 |
| Jeremy Guthrie | KC | 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | CHA | Jose Quintana | 14:10 |
| Clayton Kershaw | LAN | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | WAS | Doug Fister | 16:05 |
| Tom Koehler | MIA | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | PHI | Chad Billingsley | 19:05 |
| Chris Tillman | BAL | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | DET | David Price | 19:08 |
| Jon Lester | CHN | 6 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | ATL | Manny Banuelos | 19:10 |
| Corey Kluber | CLE | 10 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | CIN | Ant’ny DeSclafani | 19:10 |
| Francisco Liriano | PIT | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | MIL | Jimmy Nelson | 19:10 |
| Colby Lewis | TEX | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 5 | HOU | Scott Feldman | 19:10 |
| Bartolo Colon | NYN | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | STL | John Lackey | 19:15 |
| Jake Peavy | SF | 0 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | AZ | Chase Anderson | 20:10 |
| Chad Bettis | COL | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 7 | SD | Tyson Ross | 20:40 |
| Rick Porcello | BOS | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | LAA | Garrett Richards | 21:05 |
| Phil Hughes | MIN | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | OAK | Scott Kazmir | 21:05 |
* = 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.
Who is the 3rd best major league pitcher right now with the initials “CK”
Craig Kimbrel perhaps?
Corey Knebel (KNEE-BAL), real life major league pitcher for the Brewers, is ranked 4th, which is also last.