Perhaps you've seen it at the bottom of the box scores on ESPN.com - the game scores of starting pitchers. What the heck does it mean? That's what Astros County is here to help with. This morning, in the absence of news, and because my hands hurt from all the wringing, we're going to learn to calculate Game Scores.
And since the Astros' best Game Score of the year came from Roy Bulldozewalt against Colorado on September 6, a complete-game one-hitter the Astros won on a 6th inning Hunter Pence two-run homer, we'll use that game to start. (Roy's numbers are in parentheses as we calculate).
-Every pitcher starts with a 50. That's your base line number. A score higher than 50 means the pitcher had a quality start. (50)
-Add one point for every out the pitcher records. Roy threw a complete game. Nine innings - 27 outs. (77)
-Add two points for every inning completed after the fourth inning. Roy completed five innings after the fourth. (87)
-Add one point for every strikeout. Roy struck out six Rockies. (93)
-Subtract two points for each hit and one point for each walk. Roy gave up one hit and walked two. (89)
-Subtract four points for each earned run and two for unearned runs. Roy, obviously, allowed no Rockies to cross home plate (89).
That's it! Of course Carlos Zambrano's bullcrap no-hitter was the highest rated Game Score of the season, with a 96.
Brandon Backe's 3.1-inning 11-run debacle against the Cubs on August 6? Yeah...-8.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
