R.A. would love to face Amazin’s in World Series
TORONTO — R.A. Dickey has a little Hollywood director in him.
Asked if he follows what Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud have done with the Mets since they were acquired from the Blue Jays for the knuckleballer, Dickey presented the case for a boxoffice hit.
“I think it would make for a great story, for sure. What a script that would be if I could face Syndergaard in [World Series] Game 7,’’ Dickey said of the gasthrowing righthander who dominated the Cubs in Game 2 of the ALCS Sunday night to provide the Mets with a commanding 20 lead entering Tuesday night’s Game 3. “Wouldn’t that be something?’’ Before that happens, the Mets have to close out the Cubs and Dickey has to help the Blue Jays get off the floor. Toronto took a step in the right direction on Monday night as they recorded an 118 victory in Game 3 as they sliced the series lead to 21.
In the first two games of the series (three runs; no homers and 3for23 with runners in scoring position), the Blue Jays hit three homers in Game 3 during their 118 win over the Royals on Monday.
“When I was a Met, I loved being a Met,’’ said Dickey, who said he knows the Mets have been good but hasn’t closely followed what Syndergaard and d’Arnaud have been doing. “I’m hoping that we play those guys in the World Series. It certainly would make for a great narrative.’’
Royals righthander Chris Young, who will oppose Dickey in Game 4 Tuesday night, was a teammate of Dickey’s with the Mets and knows Daniel Murphy well from their time in Queens.
With f ive postseason home runs, a .357 (10for28) average, eight RBIs and a 1.308 OPS in seven games, the lefthanded hitting second baseman is the talk of baseball’s playoffs.
“I’m so happy for him,’’ Young said. “He is a tremendous guy first and foremost. I think he is one of the most underrated players in the game. I’m so excited for him. It couldn’t happen to a better guy.’’
Dickey spoke about Murphy in the same glowing terms Young did.
“Oh, man, I have always been a big fan of Danny Murphy. He can hit, end of story,’’ Dickey said. “He wakes up talking about hitting. He’s a student of the game, he’s a student of his swing.”