Tonight, it’s cheese versus cheese, the Dúnedan facing one of the Riders of Rohan.

(I dunno, maybe it’s just me, but “Eovaldi” sounds quite a bit like the name of a character who rode alongside Éomer and Éowyn, perishing in the Battle of Helm’s Deep.)

Anyway.

Since he first got called up by the Dodgers in 2011, in Nathan Eovaldi has had some of the best mustard in baseball, though he hasn’t always used it effectively. He was pretty good with the Marlins but then he went to New York and pitched decently for one year, then struggled mightily the next. When he got to Boston, he was replacement-level, then he was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2021, regressed last year, and has resumed as one of baseball’s best this year. He’s had two Tommy John surgeries, has pitched for six teams already, and I honestly don’t know what to make of the back of his baseball card. But he’s got a hell of a fastball.

Don’t think I gotta tell you about the kind of fastball our guy’s got.

Of course, our guy has a good case for both the best quads and the best cheddar in the league. Even though he’s a Phillies fan, Michael Baumann of Fangraphs couldn’t be more excited for tonight’s matchup, and neither could I.

Rubber match, y’all. Let’s get it.