Impressive Big League Debut

Maybe June 18th, 2013 goes down in Mets history as the day the franchise turned the corner. Their "young guns," the two pitchers they hope will be the foundation of better days in the future, each posted victories in a doubleheader sweep over the first place Braves in Atlanta.

Zack Wheeler (whom I caught last year with Double-A Binghamton) made his major league debut with six innings of shutout ball in the nightcap. Behind Matt Harvey -- who carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning and struck out a career-high 13 -- New York won the opener. Strong pitching was always a Mets tradition in their winning days.

Some important Mets have won 45 over the past half-century: Tug McGraw, John Franco, Pedro Martinez quickly come to mind. Now it belongs to Wheeler -- and will probably start showing up on souvenir shirts within days.

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