One Night Only: Previews for Weekend of May 20th

by
May 20, 2011


Scholarship!

This edition of One Night Only contains:

1. White-hot previews for six games, including examinations of the Ohio Cup, the Bay Bridge Series, and the (recently neologismed) Puke Cup.

2. Pitcher and Team NERD scores for every one of this weekend’s games.

3. Big-time gravitas.

Friday, May 20th
Cincinnati (9) at Cleveland (10) | 19:05 ET
• This year’s Ohio Cup matchup is probably more interesting than other years’ Ohio Cup matchups.
• In case you’re interested in the history of the Ohio Cup, here’s the surprisingly thorough Wikipedia entry on same.
• In case you’re interested in who’s pitching, direct your attention to after this colon: Travis Wood (5) vs. Alex White (N/A).

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St. Louis (7) at Kansas City (10) | 20:10 ET
• Unlike the Reds-Indians series, this intrastate clash (clash!) doesn’t have a name, clever or otherwise.
• An uninspired proposal: The Show Me Cup.
• An excellent proposal: The Puke Cup, as that excerpt (up above there) from the December 1961 edition of American Speech suggests might be appropriate.

Saturday, May 21st
St. Louis (7) at Kansas City (10) | 14:10 ET
• It’s Day Two of the Puke Cup!
• Nathan Adcock (currently doing this: 16.2 IP, 4.32 K/9, 2.70 BB/9, 43.4% GB, 4.18 xFIP) makes his first major-league start.
• Adcock. Puke Cup. Be There.

Oakland (2) at San Francisco (3) | 19:10 ET
• Per Wikipedia, this is called either the Bay Bridge or BART Series.
• My sources indicate that the Totally Chill Series is also acceptable.
• Your starters: Brett Anderson (8) vs. Tim Lincecum (9).

Sunday, May 22nd
Cincinnati (9) at Cleveland (10) | 13:05 ET
• Did you see the line from enigmatic Edinson Volquez’s (7) most recent start against the Cubs?
• Regard: 6.0 IP, 24 TBF, 9 K, 1 BB, 6 GB on 13 batted-balls (46.2% GB).
• His strange line for the year: 48.1 IP, 9.31 K/9, 6.33 BB/9, .264 BABIP, 55.8% GB, 21.6% HR/FB, 3.94 xFIP, 107 xFIP-.

Tampa Bay (8) at Florida (6) | 13:10 ET
• This is probably the most interesting game of the weekend, actually.
• James Shields (8) faces Josh Johnson (8).
• In what is apparently called the Citrus Series.

Also Playing
These games are very likely playing at some kind of sporty channel near you.

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)





 

Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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Eric
14 years ago

The Royals-Cardinals series is actually often referred to as the I-70 Series, named after the highway that runs between the two cities.

A little bit better than the Puke Cup, methinks.

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