One Night Only: Games for Weekend of June 3rd

This edition of One Night Only contains:

1. Expanded previews for, like, six or a hundred games — hard to tell.

2. Expressly not Pitcher and Team NERD scores for every one of this weekend’s games — because it hurt my ulnar claw to type all that junk.

3. Frequent appeals to the Wonderful Terrific Monds Player NERD scores JUST UNVEILED TODAY!!!!111OMG1.

Friday, June 3rd
Philadelphia (2) at Pittsburgh (4) | 19:05 ET
• Cole Hamels (10), who’s good, faces Jeff Karstens (7), who’s surprising.
• Karstens this year: 50.1 IP, 7.15 K/9, 1.97 BB/9, 45.2% GB, 3.21 xFIP, 86 xFIP-.
• As opposed to Karstens for his career: 389.2 IP, 4.80 K/9, 2.68 BB/9, 39.7% GB, 4.79 xFIP, 115 xFIP-.

Nationals (5) at Diamondbacks (10) | 19:05 ET
• Hacksaw Josh Collmenter (6) faces Yunesky Maya (N/A).
• Much like Collmenter — who’s been celebrated in these pages more than once — Maya is very watchable, if not dominant.
• Watch his very slow curve (0:16, 0:36, 0:45), slider (0:25, 1:07), changeup (1:16), and either changeup or two-seamer (0:55) in the video below.
• Also: watch Danny Espinosa, Wilson Ramos, and Gerardo Parra, all of whom receive 8s by Player NERD.

Saturday, June 4th
Colorado (8) at San Francisco (4) | 16:05 ET
• Jhoulys Chacin (7) faces Madison Bumgarner (7).
• Feel free to weep openly if you hear mention of Bumgarner’s (64.0 IP, 3.70 xFIP, 99 xFIP-) 2-6 record as an indication that he’s not a winner.
• Also, feel free to catch Brandon Crawford Fever! Crawford’s line (in very limited time): 25 PA, .273/.360/.455 (.278 BABIP), .372 wOBA, 133 wRC+.

Texas (8) at Cleveland (10) | 19:05 ET
• Elvis Andrus is one of only five players (among 283 qualified) to receive a 9 or better per Player NERD.
• The reason why is (a) he’s still very young, (b) he’s looking like a 4.5 or 5.0 WAR player at the moment, and (c) his .303 BABIP is actually about 50 points lower than one might expect given his batted-ball profile.
• Also, have you seen Mike Napoli’s (7) line this season. Regard: 137 PA, .225/.365/.550 (.203 BABIP, .262 xBABIP), .394 wOBA, 149 wOBA+, 1.5 WAR.

Sunday, June 5th
Milwaukee (8) at Florida (3) | 13:10 ET
• Most of the things that I discussed in these pages recently in re Shaun Marcum are also true of Chris Narveson.
• The high swinging-strike rate (11.3%) with the low fastball velocity (88.1 mph), is mostly what I mean.
• Other thing: Logan Morrison (9) and Mike Stanton (8) are watchable.

Houston (3) at San Diego (5) | 18:35 ET
• Top Houston prospect, 20-year-old Jordan Lyles made his major-league debut on May 31st at the Cubs (and starts tonight).
• His line from that game: 7.0 IP, 27 TBF, 4 K, 0 BB, 8 GB on 21 batted-balls (38.1% GB).
• And video from same (courtesy MLB):

Also Playing
These are the games mentioned above.

“Why’s Jordan Lyles’ got a 9?” maybe you’re asking. The answer, as always: “Because it felt right.”

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

pNERD = Pitcher NERD
tNERD = Team NERD
Game = Time and Average NERD for Game
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD of 5 (or 10 for debuts)