Dickey’s Improbable Run Rolls On
R.A. Dickey has an incredible backstory, a best-selling book and the most impressive run of starts this season. His second consecutive one-hit shutout on Monday night was the first in the major leagues since 1988 and the first in the NL since 1944. He struck out 12 in the Mets’ 5-0 win over the equally surprising Orioles and leads the major leagues with 11 wins.

“I’m going to leave it to you guys to explain it. I’m just going to try to be in the moment with it,” Dickey said. He’s honest, humble and straightforward, a 37-year-old man who’s been through many stages in his life. He leads the NL in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, ERA, complete games, winning percentage and is second in innings pitched. No player this age is supposed to have this level of success, especially someone whose primary pitch is the knuckleball.

He’s the overwhelming favorite for the NL Cy Young award and has a 1.21 ERA and 88 strikeouts during his nine-game winning streak and hasn’t allowed an earned run in five starts. ”Yeah, it’s surreal,” Dickey said. “You almost get emotional out there, especially that last hitter. You hear everybody, like one big heartbeat beating. That’s the best way I could explain it.”

Will Dickey win the Cy Young Award? History says probably not. Will the Mets make the playoffs? Again, history says probably not. But this run by Dickey is an incredible story that defies all logic, and we as baseball fans should celebrate and enjoy every one of his starts as long as this run lasts.

Thoughts & Theories
-You have to feel bad for the Atlanta Braves. Not only do they have to play the Yankees six times in one season, ask the Mets about that, but they have to do it in the span of a week when the Yankees are playing by far the best ball they’ll play all season. If Atlanta misses the postseason, they’d have a real gripe with schedule-makers for this one.
-With Ryan Dempster on the DL for the Cubs, it appears more and more likely that Colorado starter Jeremy Guthrie is going to be the first relatively well known pitcher to be traded this season. The excellent Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that talks remain active with Toronto, but the seriousness of the talks were probably overplayed. The Jays scouted Guthrie on Sunday and offered AA slugging 1B Mike McDade, according to Renck, but Colorado would prefer a middle infield or pitching prospect. Boston, Detroit and Minnesota have also shown interest, mainly because of the Rockies’ low asking price.