Baseball In The Daytime: 4-17-08

It's a triple-header of National League games at the old ballyards today, so pull up a seat and soak it all in, folks. Just don't forget the SPF 80, it's still early in the season.

Today we're treated to the rubber game of the Ed Wade Showdown and a couple of NL Central clubs shooting for sweeps. We'll also rehash the friendly competition between the InterSpace's two most dominant day-baseball preview features. Oh, it's on...

Houston @ Philadelphia, 11:05 Mountain Ed Wade is about as Brotherly Loved in the City Of as Michael Irvin or Santa Claus. His tenure as Phillies GM ended mercifully in 2005, but his career was resurrected by nutty old 'Stro-wner Drayton McClane. Wade promptly snagged one of his old pet projects in Philly, the preposterously fast outfielder Michael Bourn, who's now leading the NL in steals. Brandon Backe and Brett Myers tangle in this on at Citizens Bank Park.

Milwaukee @ St. Louis, 11:15 The Cards are the toast of baseball once again and own a share of the top record in the NL, 11-4. Following World Series appearances in 2004 and 2006, this was supposed to be a rebuilding campaign for the Redbirds, but what the fungus!? They're winning! A big reason is today's starter, Kyle Lohse, who mysteriously forgot how to suck on his way to Busch Stadium and guns for his third victory of the season versus the Brewers' Manny Parra.

Cincinnati @ Chicago Cubs, 12:20 Edison invented the light bulb, the phonograph, and the steam-powered waffle-maker, but a young man named Edinson hopes to concoct a new idea at Wrigley today: Hope. Edinson Volquez's Cincinnati Reds are floundering, having lost five straight. They're threatening to make a giant ass out of me for forecasting their breakout this season, and if they don't get to winning I'll be forced to thrust upon you, poor reader, shitty phrases like this: Help Us Edinson Volquez, You're Our Only Hope. Jesus. Your Cubs' starter is pharmaceutical heir Ted Lilly.

Walkoff Walk Watch As of press time yesterday our pals over at the WoW had yet to post their afternoon delight, so we'll break it all down retroactively. There was, of course, only one day game in the bigs, a closely contested affair in which the D'Bags trumped the Giants 4-1.

WoW's Camp Tiger Claw highlighted the contrast between Arizona ace Brandon Webb and Giant mope Barry Zito. CTC, however, was more subtle in his slight:

Zito is, well... if you want to read about how lousy he is, go to every other baseball website in existence.

That's nice. I, conversely, went with a rote breakdown of Zito's crappy stats and bloated contract--damn it! So predictable!

On the other hand, CTC dropped the ball in his opening sentence whe he talked about Webb and Zito's career "arches," which would make a lot more sense if it was "arcs." I, meanwhile, managed to field my position without an error, unless you count my use of the Bermanism "G-Men." Mild faux pas, but I had to dive for it and the official scorer ruled it a base hit.

So the game was tied going into the ninth, and was decided on originality. Baseball In The Daytime, as the genesis of the species, emerged with a nailbiter of a W. Better luck next time, fellas, and Play Ball!