Really Amazing
R.A. Dickey doffs his cap to the fans after winning his 20th game on Thursday. He is the first Met to win 20 games since Frank Viola in 1990
NEW YORK — R.A. Dickey became the first knuckleballer to win 20 games in more than three decades, tying his careerhigh with 13 strikeouts and leading the Mets over Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 Thursday behind David Wright’s tiebreaking, three-run homer.
A 37-year-old knuckleballer who had never won more than 11 games in any previous season, Dickey (20-6) overcame an outstanding, climbing catch by Travis Snider more than 2 feet above the right-field wall that robbed Mike Baxter of a tying home run in the second inning.
Dickey, throwing his hard knuckler at about 78 mph, fell behind 2-0 and 3-1. Former Texas teammate Rod Barajas doubled in a run and homered, but the Mets clawed back in their final home game of the season and took a 6-3 lead on Wright’s homer in the fifth and held on in a nervous ninth.
Dickey allowed three runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings, walked two and reached double digits in strikeouts for the seventh time this season. He leads the NL with 222 Ks.
Reds 2, Brewers 1 CINCINNATI — Slumping Todd Frazier tied the game with a two-out homer in the ninth inning, and Dioner Navarro followed with an RBI triple that sent the Cincinnati Reds to a victory and dealt a major setback to the Milwaukee Brewers’ playoff chances.
Rockies 7, Cubs 5 DENVER — Jordan Pacheco and DJ LeMahieu each homered, leading the Colorado Rockies to a win over the Chicago Cubs on for a three-game series sweep.
Giants 7, D’Backs 3 SAN FRANCISCO — Midseason acquisitions Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro each hit two-run homers in the second inning to back Barry Zito, and the NL West champion San Francisco Giants beat Arizona in their regular-season home finale.
AMERICAN LEAGUE Mariners 9, Angels 4 ANAHEIM, Calif. — John Jaso hit a two-run homer and an RBI double for Seattle, and the Los Angeles Angels wasted a golden chance to get within one game of an AL wild-card spot with a 9-4 loss to the Mariners on Thursday.
Tigers 5, Royals 4 DETROIT — Doug Fister set an AL record by striking out nine straight batters and the Detroit Tigers kept their lead in the Central, beating the Kansas City Royals on Alex Avila’s grounder in the ninth inning.
Rangers 9, A’s 7 ARLINGTON, Texas — Ian Kinsler got Texas started with a leadoff homer, Matt Harrison earned his 18th victory and the AL West-leading Rangers held on to win for a four-game split with the chasing Oakland Athletics.