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 scored double digits

Astros' bats provide fireworks Friday in opener against Blue Jays

Yuli Gurriel had a monster night at the plate Friday. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.

Although they lost the series 2-1, the Astros ended their road trip with a nice win over the Yankees to head home on a positive note. On Friday, they welcomed in the Toronto Blue Jays and former teammate George Springer, currently on the IL, to start a three-game series and long homestand. They had an excellent night at the plate, along with a strong start from Jose Urquidy, cruising past the Blue Jays to take the opener.

Final Score: Astros 10, Blue Jays 4

Astros' Record: 17-15, third in the AL West

Winning Pitcher: Jose Urquidy (3-2)

Losing Pitcher: Ross Stripling (0-2)

Jays strike first, then Houston responds and never looks back

It first appeared that Urquidy may be in for a long night, giving up two solo home runs early in Friday's game, one to Bo Bichette in the top of the first with one out to put Toronto up 1-0, then another to Danny Jansen in the top of the third. However, Urquidy would lock-in, and his offense would back him up strongly.

Houston ended up sending nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the second, getting two runs on a homer by Carlos Correa, then later loading the bases to set up an RBI walk by Alex Bregman. In the bottom of the fifth, with a one-run lead at 3-2, Yuli Gurriel expanded the lead to three runs on a two-run shot.

Gurriel went on to have a fantastic night, going 4-for-4 at the plate with 4 RBI. His third of those came in the bottom of the seventh, extending the lead again with an RBI single to make it 6-2. Kyle Tucker made it a five-run game that same inning with an RBI double, then more insurance came in the bottom of the eighth. They reached double-digits that inning, with Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Yuli Gurriel, his fourth of the night, all getting an RBI to make it 10-2.

Urquidy finishes seven, then Emanuel finishes it off

Those gave Urquidy plenty of support, though he would bounce back after the two early homers and have a nice night on the mound. He allowed just two other hits, working around both, en route to a seven-inning two-run performance to earn him the win. His final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 84 P.

He likely could have gone longer, but Dusty Baker turned the ball over to Kent Emanuel to wrap things up with the significant lead. He did so, despite allowing a two-run home run to former-Astro Teoscor Hernandez in the top of the ninth to make the score 10-4. The win kept the Astros above .500 and two games back of the A's, who sit atop the AL West standings.

Up Next: The middle game of this series will be a 6:10 PM start Saturday night. The pitching matchup will be Steven Matz (4-2, 4.78 ERA) for Toronto and the electric Cristian Javier (3-0, 1.75 ERA) for Houston.

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