Tonight’s Mets Lineup vs. Tigers
Here is the lineup the Mets will send to the plate against Tigers righthander Rick Porcello:
Jose Reyes – SS
Willie Harris – DH
Carlos Beltran – RF
Daniel Murphy – 3B
Angel Pagan – CF
Jason Bay – LF
Lucas Duda – 1B
Justin Turner – 2B
Josh Thole – C
R.A. Dickey is pitching for the Mets, but will not be batting. It’s weird, I know. For those who missed the Rangers series, in the Adulterated League, teams are allowed to substitute a “designated pinch-hitter” for the pitcher. It is an experimental rule that is designed to make baseball “more interesting”. I imagine if it works out well, the Adulterated League will eventually extend the concept to the entire lineup, much like the way football has evolved (i.e., we will see “defensive players” who play the field, and “offensive players” who only take turns at bat). While the Mets play in A.L. parks, they have the option of using the “designated pinch-hitter”. In this first game with the Tigers, they will “make the game more interesting” by using Willie Harris as the designated pinch-hitter.
Pagan 2nd? A healthy Reyes followed by a healthy Pagan would seem to be a perfect fit. Pagan is a much better hitter when he doesn’t have to muscle-up, as he sometimes does in the fifth spot.