NERD Game Scores: Yordano Ventura Pitching Event
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
Kansas City at Cleveland | 19:05 ET
Yordano Ventura (88.1 IP, 87 xFIP-, 1.8 WAR) faces Josh Tomlin (64.1 IP, 84 xFIP, 0.8 WAR). The former has recorded not only the highest average fastball velocity among qualified starters, but also the sixth-fastest working pace among that same group. The latter, having typically survived off of his capacity to limit walks, has produced a strikeout rate thus far (21.9%) precisely 50% greater than his career average to date.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.
A Single, Other Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Kansas City at Cleveland, starts at 7:05pm 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Hammel | CHN | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | WAS | Tanner Roark | 11:05 |
| M. Gonzalez | BAL | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | BOS | Jon Lester | 13:35 |
| Chase Whitley | NYA | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | MIN | Kyle Gibson | 15:10 |
| Marcus Stroman | TOR | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 2 | OAK | Tommy Milone | 16:05 |
| R. Hernandez | PHI | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | PIT | Gerrit Cole | 17:05 |
| Matt Cain | SF | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | SD | Eric Stults | 18:40 |
| Y. Ventura | KC | 10 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | CLE | Josh Tomlin | 19:05 |
| Alex Cobb | TB | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | DET | Drew Smyly | 19:08 |
| Kyle Lohse | MIL | 4 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | CIN | Alfredo Simon | 19:10 |
| Roenis Elias | SEA | 5 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 10 | CHA | Chris Sale | 19:10 |
| Yu Darvish | TEX | 7 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | NYN | Jon Niese | 19:10 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | MIA | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 4 | STL | Lance Lynn | 19:15 |
| Josh Collmenter | AZ | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ATL | Ervin Santana | 19:35 |
| Clay. Kershaw | LAN | 10 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 4 | COL | Jair Jurrjens* | 20:10 |
| Dallas Keuchel | HOU | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | LAA | C.J. Wilson | 21:05 |
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.
Today as we celebrate our nation’s anniversary, let us all take a moment for Jair Jurrjens, who is making his 2014 debut pitching at Coors Field.
Against Clayton Kershaw.
Against all odds.
Kershaw has made 15 career starts in Coors. He’s 6-3 with a 5.03 ERA. Interestingly, he’s made only 9 starts in Petco (ERA 2.22) and 10 starts in AT&T (ERA 0.78). The career ERA+ may undersell him…
Jurrjens does have the odds against him, but even if he fails, there’s probably a good establishment that he can go to and watch a soccer game to ease his pain.
The same Rockies team Kershaw no hit just two weeks ago.