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 The right-handed knuckleballer won the 2012 National League Cy Young
Award with the Mets and then was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in
December of that year.
In his first start against the Mets since that trade, Dickey did a
number on them. He allowed three hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings
and the Blue Jays defeated the Mets 7-1.
"I really didn't view it as that," Dickey said when asked about
feeling a little more emotion for the start. "I mean that was three
years ago. I leave it to everybody else to build the story. It was
just another start for me where I wanted to be consistent and
trustworthy for my team and give us a shot at winning the ball game.
Hopefully I will have 20 more like that."
Left fielder Chris Colabello homered for the Blue Jays in the fifth
inning and designated hitter Jose Bautista drove in two runs with a
single in Toronto's five-run fourth to give Dickey some breathing
room.
Dickey (3-6) had his knuckleball dancing and did not allow a run
until his 120th and final pitch of the game in the eighth that Mets
first baseman Lucas Duda drilled to right for his 10th homer of the
season.
While the 40-year-old had seven strikeouts, he walked five to earn
his first win since May 21.
"He didn't have the command I've seen him have," Mets manager Terry
Collins said. "I've seen him be this good and better. Guys were
coming back saying it was pretty impressive. When he's on, he's
tough to hit, and you have no way to prepare for it."
The teams split a four-game, home-and-home interleague series. Each
team won its home games.
The Blue Jays (36-32) are 13-3 in June and had an 11-game winning
streak snapped when the Mets (36-32) won Monday and Tuesday at Citi
Field.
The Mets' 42-year-old right-hander Bartolo Colon (9-5) allowed seven
runs (six earned) and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings in a matchup
between two of baseball's senior citizens.
"It was just that one inning that they capitalized on some
mistakes," said Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who was one of the
players Toronto traded for Dickey. "Other than that, he got the
outs."
The Mets loaded the bases in the second inning on three walks.
Dickey escaped when he struck out right fielder Curtis Granderson to
end the inning. On his way back to the dugout, Dickey engaged plate
umpire Mark Wegner in conversation.
"He was really good but it was a battle for him early on with the
walks and he got that big strikeout of Granderson there," Blue Jays
manager John Gibbons said. "He gutted it out. He was determined and
then the offense took over and gave him a little breather. He dug in
and did a heck of a job."
"His ball was dancing a lot today," d'Arnaud said.
Dickey said his conversation with Wegner was "amicable".
"At the same time, I need to get a point across and make sure that
he understood it was moving a lot and Russ (catcher Russell Martin)
was doing a great job back there," Dickey said. "(Wegner) even
admitted that he didn't call one of those strikes strike three
because Russ didn't catch it. So we had a good conversation about
that but it was diplomatic."
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The Blue Jays took advantage of an error by second baseman Dilson
Herrera on Colabello's grounder that opened the second.
Colabello took second on Martin's groundout to third and scored on a
single up the middle by center fielder Kevin Pillar.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the fourth on one-out singles by
Martin, right fielder Ezequiel Carrera and Pillar.
One run scored on a fielder's-choice grounder to first by second
baseman Ryan Goins. Pillar's strong slide into second made sure the
double play could not be completed.
Shortstop Jose Reyes followed with an RBI single, and third baseman
Josh Donaldson doubled home a run. Bautista singled in both to bump
the lead to 6-0.
Center fielder Juan Lagares doubled to left-center with two outs in
the fifth for the first hit of the game by the Mets. It extended his
hitting streak to nine games.
Colabello led off the bottom of the fifth with his fifth homer of
the season.
Colon retired the next batter before he was replaced by left-hander
Alex Torres.
Right-hander Liam Hendriks replaced Dickey in the eighth and
finished the game.
NOTES: The Mets selected RHP Logan Verrett's contract was from
Triple-A Las Vegas after Wednesday's game and he pitched two innings
Thursday against the Blue Jays. Verrett replaces RHP Akeel Morris,
who allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning in his major league
debut Wednesday and was optioned to Double-A Binghamton. ... Blue
Jays 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion was not in the lineup to give him a
rest, but he was available to pinch-hit. Jose Bautista served as the
DH. ... The Mets will send out RHP Jacob deGrom (7-4, 2.33 ERA) on
Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta. RHP Matt
Wisler is expected to make his major league debut for the Braves.
... The Blue Jays will start RHP Marco Estrada (4-3, 4.24) on Friday
in the opener of a three-game home series against the Baltimore
Orioles, who will start RHP Mike Wright (2-2, 4.13).
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