RA-DICKEY-LOUS

R.A. Dickey was once a guy who was fighting just to get to the big leagues.  He had a good knuckleball, but it was not good enough to get him recognized like Tim Wakefield, Phil Niekro, and Charlie Hough.  On April 29, 2010, when pitching for triple-A Buffalo, the Mets realized that they may have found something in Dickey. Dickey would give up a single to the first batter that night and then get the next 27 batters out to throw a one hitter.  We would soon learn that more dominant performances were on the way.

Monday night, Dickey showed the world that he might just be one of the most dominant knuckleballers of all time and the most dominant pitcher in the league right now.  Dickey breezed through the Baltimore Orioles lineup throwing his second consecutive complete game one hitter.  The Tennessee native struck out 13 Orioles and only walked two batters.  He gave up a single in the 5th to break up the no hitter.  Dickey was coming off as dominant a performance his last start against Tampa Bay.  Dickey gave up one infield single that could have been ruled an error and the Rays lineup was baffled by the swirling knuckleball that nobody could hit.

There was a feel of magic in the air at Citi Field Monday night.  Fans could not believe the absolute brilliance that was happening right in front of them.  Just two and a half weeks ago, fans witnessed the first no hitter in Mets history by Johan Santana and once again they would get to see an equally dominant performance from Dickey.  In all honesty, Dickey's two one hitters were as paramount or more than Santana's one hitter.  Hitters were not even making contact with the knuckleball that were leaving major leaguers scratching their head, throwing their bats, and a lot of times breaking them.

Two one hitters and 25 strikeouts for R.A. Dickey.  Two overbearing starts against two playoff teams right now.  Dickey is now 11-1 with a microscopic 2.00 ERA.  Robert Allen has 103 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched.  He has given up just 67 hits and 21 walks in those 99 innings.  The numbers this man is putting up are Cy Young worthy, MVP worthy, and undoubtedly All Star Game starting pitcher worthy.  Dickey has come out every 5th day and essentially given the Mets a win every time.  The guy has not allowed an earned run since May 22nd.  He has only had one start this season that was not a quality one and that came on a rainy day in Atlanta.  Take that start out and Dickey has been absolutely flawless this season.

What we are seeing from R.A. Dickey is an absolute joy to watch.  He has transformed the art of the knuckleball and at age 37, with the way he keeps his body and being a knuckleballer, still has plenty of years left in him.  In knuckleball years, Dickey is in his prime and can easily pitch into his mid-40s.  Hey, if the Mets can stay in the race and make a run for one of those two wild card spots in the National League, watch out for the dynamic duo of R.A. Dickey and Johan Santana right now at the top of the rotation.  It has become a front end that nobody wants to face.

Jets Do Not Want to Return to Baltimore

Baltimore seems to be where all the wild things are.....Wednesday we saw the Orioles beat the Red Sox sending the Sox home in a crazy game and Sunday right next door we saw the Ravens make a mockery of the Jets.  The Ravens defeated the Jets 34-17 Sunday night in a wild game that was more of a defensive battle than the score indicated.

For the first time in NFL history Sunday night, we saw 5 touchdown returns.  The craziness started early. The first touchdown return was a 6 yard fumble return by Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain.  It was the result of Mark Sanchez not getting rid of the ball fast enough causing a fumble and the recovery for a score.  Immediately after that score, (just over 3 minutes into the game) Jets running back and special teams specialist Joe McKnight ran back a kickoff 107 yards for a touchdown.  Most returners would have just took the knee and taken it at the 20.  McKnight decided he may have a chance at a score and he followed his blockers and was left with just the kicker to beat for the touchdown.  He was nearly untouched.  3 minutes and 17 seconds into the game we saw a fumble return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown.

It was due to be a wild game in Baltimore.

After a rushing touchdown by Ravens Ray Rice and a field goal by kicker Billy Cundiff the Ravens would go up 20-7.  The third return touchdown and most controversial would come after that in the second quarter.  Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson would run back a fumble by Sanchez for 26 yards for a touchdown.  The play was reviewed, but the call stood that Sanchez did not have the ball as his arm went forward.  The fourth return of the game for a score would come soon thereafter with 6 minutes left in the first half.  Joe Flacco would make a careless pass right in the hands of Jets linebacker David Harris who took it 35 yards to the endzone for a score.

At the half, the Jets trailed 27-17.  The final return touchdown would come almost midway through the third quarter as Sanchez made a pass that we would have saw him make in his rookie season lobbing to to a receiver and not seeing Ravens cornerback Ladarius Webb there who would take it back 73 yards for the fifth return touchdown for a game, which was the new NFL record.

That would be the last scoring of the game as well as the Jets were destroyed in Baltimore.  The Jets were playing without pro bowl center Nick Mangold.  This would prove to be pivotal for the Jets as well as the Ravens defense.  They were blitzing all night and Jets inexperienced center Mike Baxter could not stop them.  Sanchez had one of his worst games of his career throwing 11 for 35 for just 119 yards and the interception.  His counterpart, Joe Flacco had just as bad of a game throwing 10 for 31 for 163 yards and the interception.  Both quarterbacks were awful in the game as the Ravens offense was led by their running backs Ray Rice and Ricky Williams running for 112 yards combined.

This road trip has been a disaster that the Jets want to put in the past.  They suffered a double digit loss to Oakland and to Baltimore.  Now, to end the road trip, they have to travel to Foxboro to face Tom Brady and their division rival Patriots as they hope to get back over .500 to improve to 3-2.  They hope to have Mangold back for the game as he will be much needed with the new and improved Patriots defensive line.  The Pats are coming off a dominant win at Oakland.  The Jets have a lot to work on this week and Sanchez and this offense is going to need to be a lot more aggressive than what we have seen if they hope to live up to Rex Ryan and the fans hopes for this season.