Open Thread - Game 60: Mets (35-23) at Tigers (34-25)

Jorge Sosa (5-1, 3.22) vs. Chad Durbin (5-1, 4.75), 7:05 p.m. EST

Check out Five Questions with Amazin' Avenue below.

I hope you like interleague play because we're getting a big serving of it over the next week.  But this should be fun.  The Tigers just finished up smacking around Rangers pitching like an overturned armadillo in a Texas Twister, and now welcome in a Mets team that also has a powerful lineup.  After getting swept at home by the Phillies, however, Willie Randolph's squad has lost five of its last six games.  

See if this sounds painfully familiar: The Mets are having bullpen problems.  Like most every other team in the majors, middle relief has become an aggravating issue for New York's National League team.  (Scott Schoeneweis, consider yourself on notice.  But give the guy a break, he has a severed tendon behind his left knee.)

That could be good news for a Tigers lineup that's been flexing its muscles for the past week or so.  Double-digit run totals are almost becoming a regularity, but the run parade might get detoured with the starters the Mets will put on the mound over the next three games.  Except for one hiccup against the Braves, Sosa has been outstanding.  He's allowed more than two earned runs only once.

The Tigers counter with Durbin, who wasn't great last week against the Indians, but picked up the win, and hasn't earned a loss in his last ten starts.  With the way the Tigers are scoring runs, however, "just okay" might be enough.  

Your SB Nation opposing view for this weekend's series comes courtesy of the aforementioned Amazin' Avenue.

Short Hops:

▪▪  Vance Wilson has been recalled from his rehab assignment, but wasn't activated.  Jason Beck thinks that might be a bad sign.

▪▪  Via Danny Knobler, Kenny Rogers could make a rehab start in Toledo Sunday night.  If all goes according to schedule, Rogers could start for the Tigers on June 20 against the Nationals.

▪▪  LoHud.com's John Delcos has some nice things to say about Ernie Harwell.  

▪▪  It's mailbag time at Curtis Granderson's blog, and he answered a bunch of questions.