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.

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Most Highly Rated Game

Houston at Detroit | 19:08 ET

Brett Oberholtzer (32.0 IP, 108 xFIP-, 0.4 WAR) faces Robbie Ray (29.1 IP, 18.3% K, 4.4% BB at Triple-A). The latter was notably acquired from Washington this offseason (along with Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi) in exchange for right-hander Doug Fister — a move which seemed to represent a miscalculation of Fister’s value. Owing to a pair of spring injuries, Fister actually won’t make his season debut until Friday — i.e. three days after Ray makes his major-league debut tonight.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Detroit Radio.

MLB.TV Free Game

Seattle at Oakland | 22:05 ET

Roenis Elias (35.0 IP, 97 xFIP-, 0.5 WAR) faces Jesse Chavez (38.0 IP, 70 xFIP-, 1.1 WAR). The pair, thus far, account for two of the league’s most surprising pitching seasons. The former was originally forecast by Steamer to record a 4.82 FIP; his rest-of-season mark currently sits at 4.31. Chavez, for his part, received a 4.18 projected FIP this preseason. His raw improvement is less substantial than Elias’s (his current rest-of-season figure is 3.96), but one also must also account for the change in role: the right-hander was originally projected to make about two-thirds of his appearances in relief, in which capacity he would likely be producing better numbers on a per-inning basis.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Oakland Radio.

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.

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.

* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.