New York has a new ace and it is not C.C. Sabathia/
R.A. Dickey's performance last night was overshadowed by Matt Cain's perfect game in San Francisco. While everybody slept in the east coast, Cain stole all the headlines the following morning. Headlines that should have included R.A. Dickey's 1-hit wonder.
Wednesday night in Tampa Bay, Dickey pitched another sensational ball game after the New York Mets defeated the Rays 9-1. Dickey won his 10th game of the season, tying him with Lance Lynn of the St. Louis Cardinals, for first place in wins the majors.
With last night's performance, Dickey earned the right to start the NL All-Star game.
Cain probably pitched the most perfect games of perfect games, but Dickey has dominated for the past two seasons and finally the Mets are backing his performances.
Last year, the knuckleballer finished the season with a 9-13 record. With the run support he received, you would have thought he was Cain's teammate.
In 33 starts last season, Dickey had 22 quality starts. That is, 22 games where he pitched a minimum of six innings and did not allow more than three earned runs.
He finished the 2011 season with strong months of August and September recording 12 consecutive quality starts.
Dickey began the season with two more quality starts, a streak which was snapped by the Atlanta Braves in his third start of the season.
In 13 starts this season, this has been the only non-quality start the Dickey has had.
This means that every time Dickey is out on the mound, he is giving his team a chance to win.
Dickey also holds the record for most consecutive scoreless innings in Mets' history. The streak ended last night at 32.2 innings after the Rays were able to put up a run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Mets have asked the league to review the one and only hit the Rays had in the first inning when B.J. Upton reached base on a questionable play that looked like an error.
Third basemen David Wright tried bare-handing a slow groundball but could not make the play. If the league reverses this call, Dickey will have a no-hitter under his belt, the Mets' second in team history and the second of the season.
If Dickey is able to dominate the next few starts, he should be able to make people forget Matt Cain had a perfect game and be named the NL starter in the All-Star game.
