KEEPING IT RAHEEL

Raheel Ramzanali: Other celebrity 1-on-1 games we need to see

Raheel Ramzanali
Jun 18, 2018, 11:08 pm
Ted Cruz-Jimmy Kimmel was just the start. Twitter.com

Now that we’ve finally seen the much anticipated Jimmy Kimmel vs Ted Cruz 1-on-1 matchup, I think it’s time we start planning for the next big game. I think we could turn these 1-on-1 games into a primetime series much like Car Karaoke or Lip Sync Battle. Could you imagine the excitement surrounding a weekly game between out of shape celebs? Well, I can. Here are a few of the matchups I’d like to see:

  • Shaq vs Barkley - Loser Leaves Town (Only if Shaq loses): Inside the NBA hasn’t been the same ever since Shaq joined the cast. I know they keep winning awards and everything, but Shaq just brings the entire show down with his inability to take a joke or criticism. The worst is when Shaq starts yelling at Charles about a point because Chuck never won a title. OK, we get it Shaq, you win titles and Chuck didn’t. Move on. This is why we need  a 1-on-1 game between the two and if Charles wins, Shaq has to leave. If Shaq wins, Charles gets to stay on and I’ll never complain about Shaq again.

  • Messi vs Ronaldo - How Great Are You Really?: I could have turned this thing into a Messi vs CR7 entry, but I didn’t because it’s almost as unbearable as MJ vs LeBron. That’s why we need to set up a 1-on-1 game between the two and figure out how they look on the basketball court. We’ll let the soccer guys argue the soccer merits, but here on these Sportsmap streets with me, we measure greatness mano y mano.

  • Kanye West vs Jay-Z - I Run The Game: Kanye West was on top of the music world heading into Saturday night with four top albums that he produced or was featured on. That all changed when Jay-z dropped an album with Beyonce and took all the shine away from his little brother. I think it’s time we check all egos with a 1-on-1 game between two of the biggest names in the business.

  • New Mike Bibby vs Old Mike Bibby - Swole Off: If you haven’t seen by now, Mike Bibby is YOKED up. This is next level body transformation. I know the angle of the picture is kinda throwing things off, but there is no denying that Bibby is yoked. I need a 1-on-1 game between this new yoked Bibby and his NBA Bibby. I know NBA Bibby will win this game,but I need to see how strong Yoked Bibby is in the post.

  • Original Aunt Vivian vs New Aunt Vivian - The REAL Aunt: Few things bothered 90’s kids than turning on the TV one day to realize that the original Aunt Vivian from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was replaced. So, to finally settle the debate on the better Aunt Vivy, I think it’s time we had them play in a game of 1-on-1. This won’t answer why they made the change, but it will help us 90’s kids with some closure.

 

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Houston's magic number stays at 2

Astros drop series finale to Mariners after rough start by Greinke

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

With their magic number at 2 to secure their spot in the 2020 MLB postseason, the Astros returned to T-Mobile Park in Seattle for this three-game series' finale and rubber game. Here are the highlights from the game:

Final Score: Mariners 3, Astros 2.

Record: 28-28, second in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Nick Margevicius (2-3, 4.57 ERA)

Losing pitcher: Zack Greinke (3-3, 4.03 ERA).

Greinke unable to complete five innings

While the Astros were being held scoreless, the Mariners were putting up runs on Zack Greinke. They took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles followed by an RBI-double with one out. Greinke would stop the damage there, then looked to settle in over the next few frames.

He allowed just one baserunner in the second through fourth innings, a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth. Then, in the fifth, the Mariners would knock him out of the game by getting a one-out single that would come around to score on a two-out RBI-double, followed by an RBI-single to extend the lead to 3-0. Greinke faced one more batter, allowing a single before Dusty Baker would take the ball and move to the bullpen. His final line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 HR, 92 P.

Astros try a late rally, come up short

On the other end, the Astros were unable to break through against Nick Margevicius, getting just one hit and two walks through the first four innings. They had a chance to get on the board in the top of the fifth, starting the inning with back-to-back singles before a walk loaded the bases with one out to turn the lineup over. They'd come up empty, though, with George Springer striking out before a long flyball to center by Jose Altuve to end the inning.

After finishing the fifth for Greinke, Andre Scrubb returned for a scoreless sixth, working around a one-out walk. Still 3-0, Blake Taylor took over on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, erasing a leadoff single and two-out walk to keep Seattle from extending their lead. Houston had another chance to score in the top of the eighth, getting two runners in scoring position, but again would strand them.

Cy Sneed was the next reliever out for the Astros, working around a two-out walk to send the game on to the ninth. The Astros would avoid the shutout, getting a two-RBI single by pinch-hitting Josh Reddick in the top of the ninth to make it a one-run game at 3-2. That's as close as they'd come, though, as the Mariners would eventually get the final out to take the series and keep the Astros' magic number stagnant at 2.


Up Next: There is one series left in the regular season for Houston, and it awaits them in Arlington with a four-game series against the Rangers, who are well eliminated from playoff contention. The first of the four games will start at 7:05 PM Central on Thursday with a pitching matchup of Lance Lynn (6-2, 2.53 ERA) for Texas and Cristian Javier (4-2, 3.33 ERA) for the Astros.

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