One Night Only: Game Previews for July 27th
Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in Spiritual Laws that “only in our easy, simple, spontaneous action we [are] strong.”
Please believe that this edition of One Night Only was composed as easily, simply, and spontaneously as possible.
As usual, the reader can find here our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for every one of today’s games.
Featured Game
San Francisco (5) at Philadelphia (3) | 19:05 ET
• Tim Lincecum (8) was scratched from Tuesday’s start with the “flu,” but I think we all know what “flu” means, right?*
• Influenza, is the answer. We just say “flu” because “influenza”‘s a long word.
• Lincecum faces Cole Hamels (10), currently fourth among qualifiers, and third on his own team, by xFIP and SIERA.
• Question: if some combination of Philly starters are the Tenenbaum children, who, do you think, is Eli Cash?
• Maybe Answer: Joe Blanton?
*Note: Matt Cain (7) would pitch tonight if Lincecum’s still sick. Manage your life decisions accordingly.
Also Playing
Here’s the complete schedule for all of today’s games. The average NERD Game Score for today is 5.3.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ervin Santana | LAA | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 5 | CLE | David Huff* | 12:05 |
| Felix Hernandez | SEA | 9 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | NYA | Phil Hughes | 13:05 |
| Max Scherzer | DET | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | CHA | John Danks | 14:10 |
| Javier Vazquez | FL | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | WAS | Livan Hernandez | 19:05 |
| Tim Lincecum | SF | 8 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 10 | PHI | Cole Hamels | 19:05 |
| Alfredo Simon* | BAL | 5 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | TOR | Ricky Romero | 19:07 |
| Bruce Chen | KC | 2 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | BOS | John Lackey | 19:10 |
| Mike Pelfrey | NYN | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4 | CIN | Bronson Arroyo | 19:10 |
| Paul Maholm | PIT | 3 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | ATL | Jair Jurrjens | 19:10 |
| Brian Duensing | MIN | 5 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 4 | TEX | Colby Lewis | 20:05 |
| Carlos Zambrano | CHN | 3 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 10 | MIL | Zack Greinke | 20:10 |
| Bud Norris | HOU | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | STL | Chris Carpenter | 20:15 |
| Ian Kennedy | AZ | 6 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 10 | SD | Cory Luebke | 22:05 |
| James Shields | TB | 9 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | OAK | Trevor Cahill | 22:05 |
| Aaron Cook | COL | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | LAN | Hiroki Kuroda | 20:10 |
NERD represents an attempt to anticipate the watchability of a game for the baseballing enthusiast.
To learn more about Pitcher NERD, click here and scroll down a little.
To learn more about latest Team NERD, click here.
To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.
Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and RotoWire.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Can we get some sort of NERD score exemption for Livan Hernandez? The fact that he gets major league hitters out throwing the ball at 50mph is fascinating to watch!
You can; it’s just, there’s a lot of paperwork involved and it’s super annoying.
Can we call guys like Livan Hernandez, Jim Thome, Julio Franco, etc, “Ulysses” players? You know,
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.