Torres had his best game as a Met.
R.A. Dickey tossed his 4th complete game of the year, as the Mets beat the Miami Marlins by a score of 6-1 (Box Score).
Dickey (W, 15-3) became the National League’s first 15-game winner. He threw 118 pitches, struck out 10, and walked none. Dickey appears to have broken out of his mid-season slump, and was as dominant today as he was during the first half. He came up big at the right time, helping the Mets end their 9-game home losing streak.
Offensively, it was all about the 7 and 8 hitters. CF Andres Torres went 3 for 3 with a double, triple, home run and walk. He drove in 3 runs. Torres is now hitting over .300 with a home run and 9 RBIs in the second half. His OBP is also over .400 since the All-Star Break. C Josh Thole went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs.
The Mets scored first when Thole drove in Ike Davis on a single down the left field line in the second inning. It was only Thole’s 18th RBI of the year.
Justin Ruggiano tied the game for Miami in the top of the fourth with a home run to left off Dickey. Ruggiano has looked very impressive in a small sample size thus far.
In the bottom of the fourth, David Wright led off with a popup to shallow left. Jose Reyes drifted back and toward the line in pursuit. He got under it, but lost it in the sun at the last minute. The ball caromed off his leg and into foul territory, allowing Wright to go to second. Wright was credited with a double (official scorers often give batters a hit on a ball lost in the sun), his 33rd of the year. Reyes, who has been booed all year by his former fans at Citi Field, received a loud ovation for his efforts. Reyes also went 0-4 to snap his 26-game hitting streak.
Two batters later, Andres Torres knocked him in with a single to put the Mets back on top, 2-1. In the sixth, Torres ripped a solo home run down the right field line to extend the lead to 3-1.
The Mets added one more thanks to that old 2-out magic in the seventh. With 2 down, Mike Baxter, Daniel Murphy, and Wright delivered consecutive singles, with Wright getting his 73rd RBI.
Then it was Torres again, this time with a triple in the eighth to tack on another insurance run. He would score on Thole’s second RBI single to give the Mets a 6-1 lead.
Josh Johnson (L, 7-8) started for the Marlins and went 6 innings, and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits. The Marlins’ bullpen couldn’t hold the Mets down, however, as Heath Bell and Chad Gaudin combined to allow 3 more runs. Ozzie Guillen has been talking about reinstalling Bell as his closer. He may want to reconsider after this outing.
Up next, the Mets begin a 3-game series with the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at 7:10 PM. Paul Maholm (9-7) is scheduled to face Matt Harvey (1-2).
23 comments
srt
8/9/2012-3:13pm at 3:13 pm (UTC -4)
Now that’s what I’m talking about.
RA Dickey with another double digit complete game W.
Has to be in the high mix for NL CY.
Torres finally showing some power at the plate.
Early innings I thought this would be another anemic offense game. Turned out to be not so much.
Glad we salvaged at least one here from the Marlins.
SaltyGary
8/9/2012-3:30pm at 3:30 pm (UTC -4)
The only other pitchers that should be considered for Cy Young right now is Cueto and Strasberg. Cain has been faltering a little. Dickey may pull this off, what an incredible year for him.
srt
8/9/2012-3:48pm at 3:48 pm (UTC -4)
And if the Nats go ahead with shutting Stras down, he’ll be out of the mix.
Sylow59
8/9/2012-5:18pm at 5:18 pm (UTC -4)
only problem may be an anti-KB bias.
Stickguy
8/9/2012-3:46pm at 3:46 pm (UTC -4)
he could do it. Especially if Strass does get shut down for September.
The team might have fallen apart lately, but if dickey wins 20 games and the Cy Young, there will be at least 1 positive on the year.
and MF, stick your fingers in your ears and go “lalalala”…
And it will really up his trade value this winter!
srt
8/9/2012-3:49pm at 3:49 pm (UTC -4)
NOOOOOOOOOO!
darknova306
8/9/2012-6:25pm at 6:25 pm (UTC -4)
I’d be all about getting some legit outfield help in exchange for him. The Mets won’t seriously contend before Dickey declines, so might as well trade him while his value is higher than it’ll likely ever be.
NJstuckinTX
8/10/2012-9:08am at 9:08 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, I’m falling into that realm too. I bet you could get a legit starting player and another decent prospect for him at the least, considering how good he has pitched and how friendly his contract is. I wrote this a day or so ago, but you have Santana, Niese, Gee, Harvey and you can fill in the 5th spot with a injury rehab/FA type as the rotation. Assuming you even pay 5+ mil for that guy, you’d be spending that on Dickey anyway and you’d have ideally another bat or two for the big club.
That said, it would really a shame to lose Dickey, and I personally think he needs to be extended. I can’t really determine in my brain how long he has left. On one hand he’s a knuckle baller, but on the other, his knuckle ball is 78-82-ish. Will the speed tail off? I just don’t know. I’d be comfortable with 2 year with an option on a 3rd at 8-10 mil per. There is so little out there on the FA market to address the OF, it only seems logical to fill the need via trade. :-/
Trs86
8/10/2012-9:49am at 9:49 am (UTC -4)
I think you have to see how cheap he will be going forward. Discuss an extension that carries him through 2015′ which should make him 40. If you can get that for 25m or under, it’s a good deal. Besides I think they an compete in 2014 and 2015.
NJstuckinTX
8/10/2012-10:04am at 10:04 am (UTC -4)
What do you think Dickey would get?
Stickguy
8/9/2012-3:49pm at 3:49 pm (UTC -4)
Interesting fact in the box score.
the first 4 batters for the Mets are all at .300 or more.
And now, beat the Braves. I rooted for them against the Phils, now it is time for them to go down!
SaltyGary
8/9/2012-3:50pm at 3:50 pm (UTC -4)
Poor Paul keeps getting nailed with the day game post game updates on Thursday.
Paul Festa
8/9/2012-4:16pm at 4:16 pm (UTC -4)
I volunteered for it without thinking about all the day games on Thursdays! This one was early enough to do on my lunch break.
gategem
8/9/2012-7:04pm at 7:04 pm (UTC -4)
To put Dickey’s prowess in perspective subtract his w/l from the teams record and you have the true value of what the rest of this team is all about and just how outstanding Dickey’s performance this year truly is.
Hazmet
8/9/2012-9:45pm at 9:45 pm (UTC -4)
Today + the next 3 days will be fun just to see what 4 days of next years possible rotation looks like with Harvey, Santana & Niese going next. With Dickey that’s a nice 4 to roll out there on a weekly basis.
Stick
8/9/2012-11:25pm at 11:25 pm (UTC -4)
Gee is not too shabby either for a back end guy.
gategem
8/10/2012-12:28am at 12:28 am (UTC -4)
I would love to watch Harvey pitch but he will be opposite Giants football so I’ll have to count on this site to fill me in.
Over at MMO some people are still bitter at Reyes for removing himself from the last game of last season to insure he won the batting title. People on most of these blogs take the definition of asinine to a completely new level.
srt
8/10/2012-8:30am at 8:30 am (UTC -4)
I just read that post over on MMO trying to compare Reyes’ situation with RA Dickey’s. IMO, it’s apples and oranges.
Stickguy
8/10/2012-9:25am at 9:25 am (UTC -4)
Just the big guy playing to his “core” audience (disciples?)
srt
8/10/2012-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
He is one of the core though. He hates this FO and just about every move they’ve made.
What I get a chuckle out of is those posting over there that refuse to believe the Mets are broke and SA just slashed the payroll by 50 MIL because he’s a ‘Moneyball’ buy.
Really…..
srt
8/10/2012-9:32am at 9:32 am (UTC -4)
oops – Moneyball guy.
Trs86
8/10/2012-9:46am at 9:46 am (UTC -4)
Funny thing is Sandy isn’t even a money ball guy. For the most part that started when he left. He had a very high payroll when owners and attendance allowed it. When the owners slashed payroll and attendance fell what was he supposed to do? Go find new owners? Besides, so far lots of his moves have been anti moneyball. Spending that much on relief pitching? Bringing in Torres and Cedeno, neither known for plate disciple.
srt
8/10/2012-9:52am at 9:52 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, but let’s not have facts get in the way of a good rant. LOL.