Mets 14 Tigers 3

Finally, the Mets break the Flushing 500, and do it with a flourish.

Here is the lineup the Mets will send to the plate against Tigers righthander Rick Porcello:

With the Mets in Tigertown, and most of us Flushing fans unfamiliar with the teams playing in the Adulterated League (the one still experimenting with the designated pinch-hitter), I’ve called on fellow SweetSpot blogger and longtime internet friend Mike McClary of The Daily Fungo to answer a few random questions about his beloved Detroit Tigers.

My questions are in bold, his answers in the blue boxes.

1. The Tigers are a healthy 7 games over .500 but have a slim lead over the
surprising, but recently fading, Indians. Is Cleveland your main concern or
are you worried about the rising White Sox?

My guess is that if you ask most Tigers fans they’re just waiting for

In many ways, this 2011 season is reminding me of 2005 — though, in reverse.

Lucas Duda isn’t your typical baseball player. At times, he resembles a lumberjack. Other times, he resembles one of those big teddy bears you win at a carnival. But does he look like the starting first basemen for the Mets?

It was an eventful weekend for the Mets. For one, the ‘underdog’ took 2 out of 3 from the big bad Texas Rangers, as the Mets are now .500. As all Mets fans know, that .500 mark is a call for celebration. Here’s the weekend links and news, including some draft pick updates.
— New York Mets supplement pick, right-hander Michael Fulmer, has seemed to agree to a Mets contract. That according to his twitter. Fulmer is a big, high school arm who’s committed to Arkansas. This is a positive step for the Mets as its never easy to sign high school kids. The details of the contract have not been discussed.

— Jack Leathersich, 6th round pick out of UMass-Lowell, announced on Twitter that he signed to the Mets on Sunday. The lefty said he is heading to St. Lucie for a workout then is slated to debut for the Brooklyn Cyclones.

— Kevin Kernan of the New York Post wrote an excellent profile on Mets first round pick Brandon Nimmo.

— Is Jon Niese’s heartbeat something to worry about? Adam Rubin of ESPN New York thinks so.

— Ken Davidoff of Newsdays writes how the Mets are both courageous and crazy about Francisco Rodriguez.

Tonight’s game against the Tigers marks the beginning of a vital 16-game stretch for the New York Mets. Between now and July 17th, the Mets play 16 games. Why did I pick the 17th? It was mostly arbitrary, but by that date, the Mets will have played:

3 games against the Detroit Tigers
3 games against the New York Yankees
4 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers
3 games against the San Francisco Giants
3 games against the Philadelphia Phillies

All but the Dodgers are currently in first place in their respective divisions. In other words, they are superior ballclubs. How the Mets measure up against them will give us a clear idea on whether they really can make a run at a postseason bid, or if their recent success is merely a mirage. Why is it important to know which way the Mets are going? Because