lingzi
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. —R.A. Dickey nearly gave the New York Mets their second
no-hitter in two weeks. Now that would have been something—especially
considering it took them more than 50 years to pitch their first one. Dickey
allowed only an infield single during his second career one-hitter and broke the
franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings in a 9-1 victory over the
Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night. The knuckleballer became the first 10-game
winner in the majors, set a career best with 12 strikeouts and did not walk a
batter. The only hit the Rays managed came when speedy B.J. Upton hit a high
bouncer in the first inning that third baseman David Wright was unable to field
with his bare hand. Mets manager Terry Collins said the team would appeal the
official scorers ruling on Uptons hit to the commissioners office, but conceded
it probably wouldnt change the result. “We said in the ninth inning that weve
got to appeal that play. Were probably not going to win it, but … what the
heck,” Collins said. “What have you got to lose except to have somebody say no?”
Johan Santana held St. Louis hitless on June 1, the first no-hitter in the Mets
51-year history. Dickey was just as dominant Wednesday—if not more so. ” If
anybody deserved a no-hitter or a perfect game tonight, it was him,” Collins
said. Dickey (10-1) ran his career-best shutout streak to 32 2-3 innings before
yielding an unearned run in the ninth. That topped the previous club mark of 31
2-3 scoreless innings in a row set by Jerry Koosman in 1973. “I always try to be
consistent. That means a lot to me, to be consistent and trustworthy. And it
makes me feel good that my team feels like theyve got a chance to win every time
out,” said Dickey, who also pitched a one-hitter against Philadelphia at Citi
Field on Aug. 13, 2010. “The streaks and the special things that happen along
the way are just the manifestation of that, of wanting to be consistent and
wanting to really be good at my craft. I still have a passion for it. Im still
looking for things to do with the knuckleball.” After Uptons hit, the
37-year-old knuckleballer permitted only one other baserunner, on a throwing
error by Wright in the ninth. “Were two plays from a perfect game,” Collins
said. “Ive seen a lot of things. Ive not seen a perfecto. Today I saw as close
to that as Ive ever been around in my 42 years. Its amazing, just truly amazing
what hes done. To think two years ago this guy was the first guy cut from this
club to where hes at today, I absolutely salute the guy.” Dickey outpitched AL
wins leader David Price (8-4). In his last five outings, the right-hander has
struck out 50 and walked three. He is 8-0 in his past 10 starts. “Hes at a
different level right now. Its amazing what hes been able to do,” Wright said.
“It just seems like each outing hes getting better and better. Its fun to be a
part of.” Besides the good fortune for Upton, Tampa Bay didnt come close to
getting another hit. In fact, the Rays only managed to hit five balls out of the
infield all night—three routine fly balls to centre field and one each to
left and right. “Did you notice he was tipping all of his pitches?” Rays manager
Joe Maddon joked. “Did you happen to pick up on that? “We were just the latest
victim. Hes done that to a lot of teams more recently,” Maddon added. “Hes
really good right now. He has this uncanny ability to throw it around the strike
zone for strikes. Hes a different cat. Hes got a hot knuckleball.” Wright said
he might have tried to use his glove to make the play on Uptons grounder in the
first if a slower runner had been trying to beat out the hit. The third baseman
said he didnt know if he should have been charged with an error. “I tried to
make the play. I didnt make it. Its as simple as that,” Wright said. “I dont
think I could have got him with the glove. I tried to barehand it. It hit the
lip and skipped on me, and I didnt make the play. If they want to go back and
give me an error, they can do that.” Dickey, whose eight straight wins also are
a career best, lost his shutout in the ninth. Elliot Johnson reached on Wrights
throwing error, then advanced to third on a pair of passed balls by Mike Nickeas
before scoring when Desmond Jennings grounded out. “Mike is really upset about
it, but he did a great job. Its not easy to catch him,” Collins said. “He was
apologizing profusely at the end of the game,” Dickey said. “Its hard back
there, especially when it was moving like it was tonight. ... He had done a
great job all night. Its just that last inning that kind of got away from him a
little bit, but he worked his tail off.” Daniel Murphy and Omar Quintanilla
drove in two runs apiece for the Mets. Nickeas ended an 0-for-14 drought with an
RBI single, and Vinny Rottino and Ike Davis also drove in runs for New York,
which has rebounded from being swept by the Yankees in a weekend series to win
two straight from Tampa Bay by a combined score of 20-3. Wright capped a 14-hit
outburst with a two-run double in the ninth. Price, who is tied for the AL wins
lead, allowed a season-high seven runs on nine hits in five-plus innings. He
walked three and struck out eight. According to STATS LLC, the starting pitching
matchup was only the second since 1921 to feature the AL and NL wins leaders
during the regular season. The other was Bostons Josh Beckett and San Diegos
Jake Peavy on June 24, 2007. The Rays said it has only happened three times in
the last 50 World Series, with Atlantas John Smoltz facing the Yankees
Andy Pettitte in 1996, Torontos Jack Morris facing Atlantas Tom Glavine in 1992
and the Dodgers Sandy Koufax going against the Yankees Whitey Ford twice in
1963. NOTES: Collins was selected to serve as one of the NL coaches for the
All-Star game. ... Tampa Bays Ben Zobrist was out of the lineup for the second
straight night. The second baseman has a sore right hand that was injured while
sliding into second base at Miami on Sunday, but Maddon said Zobrist did not
play Tuesday night because he was ill. ... Rays DH Luke Scott, who has not
started the last seven games, is day to day with a stiff back. ... Mets LF
Jason Bay went 1 for 5 and is 1 for 21 since returning from a long stint on the
disabled list with a broken rib. Andy Dalton Jersey . Cristiano Ronaldo opened
the scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu in the ninth minute. Karim Benzema scored
four minutes later, and Mesut Oezil struck a brace after halftime. Also, Raul
Tamudo scored in stoppage time to give Rayo Vallecano a 1-0 win over Granada
that lifted his team out of the drop zone and condemned Villarreal. Andy Dalton Womens Jersey . Triathlon Canada
announced the three athletes to complete the team Tuesday. Whitfield, an Olympic
gold and silver medallist from Kingston, Ont., and Edmontons Findlay were
pre-selected to the team last November. http://www.officialcincinnatibengals.us/a-j-green-jerseys
. They barely did it, escaping Houston with a 104-102 victory over the Rockets
in overtime on Sunday night. “We needed this win, and now we get to go home,”
said Pacers forward Danny Granger, who scored 32 points. A.J. Green Jersey . —Holding white glow
sticks above their heads, Sarah Burkes friends took a slow trip down a darkened
halfpipe at the Winter X Games on Thursday—bidding a sad farewell to the
Canadian skier who helped push their sports to the heights theyve reached today.
A.J. Green Youth Jersey . Baldwin, 29,
returns to Winnipeg for his fifth season after finishing his post-secondary
education at West Virginia State.GSTAAD, Switzerland—Bernard Tomic of
Australia was the first seeded player to be eliminated at the Swiss Open on
Monday, losing 6-0, 6-4 to Benoit Paire of France in the first round. The
47th-ranked Paire swept the first set despite landing only three first serves
against the 45th-ranked Tomic, who was seeded eighth after getting a wild-card
entry to the clay-court tournament. Paul-Henri Mathieu was another Frenchman who
had to overcome servinng problems to win 6-3, 7-6 (4) against Igor Andreev of
Russia.dddddddddddd. Mathieu, a former top-20 player, double-faulted 10 times
but saved all seven break points he faced. The 30-year-old Mathieu fell to 733
in the rankings after a left knee injury sidelined him last season. Jan Hernych
of the Czech Republic beat Matteo Viola of Italy 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, while Martin
Fischer of Austria ousted Sandro Ehrat of Switzerland 6-2, 6-4. ’ ’ ’
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