R.A. Dickey is still very much alive in the conversation for the National League Cy Young award. The knuckleballer tossed seven innings of one-run ball this afternoon at Citi Field as part of a 3-1 win over the Astros. The strong performance helped the Mets snap a six-game losing streak.
Dickey actually got the Mets on the board first in the bottom of the the fourth inning when he hit a tapper along the first base line which caused Astros starter Fernando Abad and catcher Jason Castro to collide and Ronny Cedeno to scamper home from third. Yes, it was an as ugly as it sounds. Watch the play here. Justin Turner later added a solo homer in the sixth while Jason Bay had an RBI single in the eighth. This was the first time since last Friday that the Mets scored more than two runs in a game.
Dickey allowed just five hits while striking out two and walking one. The only run scored on a wild pitch in his final inning of work. It was a little curious to see him leave the game after throwing just 86 pitches, but Jon Rauch, Josh Edgin and Frank Francisco were able to hang on. Dickey is now tied with fellow Cy Young candidates Johnny Cueto and Gio Gonzalez for the National League lead with 16 wins and ranks fourth with a 2.76 ERA. He’s also tied with Stephen Strasburg for the National League lead with 183 strikeouts.
