R.A. Dickey (8-5) beat the Phillies and gave the Mets their first back-to-back wins since June. In notching the one-hitter, Dickey accomplished what has been done 25 times previously by Mets pitchers. All who came before him stood close to that brush with immortality, but Dickey was more than happy to take the game the way it went last night.
Speaking on SNY after the game, Dickey was humble about the whole experience. When asked about the one hit of the game, a blooped single into right field by pitcher Cole Hamels (7-9), Dickey said, "And tonight, I am so thankful. It was a real gift. It was an outing where I didn't have a regret." He had thrown a knuckleball to Hamels, but he hit it, and Dickey indicated that is the nature of things.
After that sixth inning single, Dickey got back to work retiring the Phillies hitters. This one-hitter is all the more satisfying because it comes against a lineup like the Phillies have, and in the minds of at least some of the players and the fans at Citi Field on Friday night, the Mets are still in the hunt in the National League East.
This second straight shutout - Johan Santana won 4-0 over the Rockies the day before - made it unnecessary to worry about the absence of Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets closer who was suspended for two games for fighting with his girlfriend's father on Wednesday after the Mets' dreadful 6-2 loss to the Rockies. Manager Jerry Manuel seemed happy to not have to think about who would have closed the game under different circumstances. He said of Santana and Dickey, "For those guys to take it upon themselves as starters to start and complete the game was huge for us."
Article comments
1 - Charlie Doherty
You know, I'm happy for Dickey's success as a knuckleballer, which is rare these days (with Tim Wakefield being the only other mildly successful knuckleballer of our generation and all).
But on the other hand, not that I cared all too much, but Dickey's one-hit gem put an end to my little MLB.com fantasy hit streak that day, as I picked Jayson Werth to get a hit for me to make it 11 days in a row. And as you know, only a Phillies pitcher got a hit (Hamels). Oh well. Time to start a new streak :)