Dickey falters, but shows his toughness
R.A. Dickey #43 of the New York Mets looks on after surrendering the tying run in the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field. (May 31, 2011) Credit: Jim McIsaac
Terry Collins probably let himself get caught up in the remarkable outing of R.A. Dickey Tuesday night and it might have cost the Mets a game.
But you know what: Who could blame him?
The banged-up Mets needed a feel-good story, and watching the hobbled Dickey baffle the Buccos for 72/3 innings was easy to get caught up in.
Dickey, pitching with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right heel, led 1-0 going into the eighth. He got a standing ovation from the crowd of 26,198 when he batted in the bottom of the seventh.
Who could blame them, either? It was a helluva performance to that point.
"He pitched a great game," Collins said. "Just a great game."
Dickey even dove for a sacrifice bunt attempt after a leadoff single in the eighth. He didn't get the ball -- Nick Evans caught it on the fly -- and Dickey ended up with a face full of Citi Field grass.
"I thought, 'Oh, God,' " Collins said. "Get up, please."
We all knew Dickey was smart (he majored in English literature at Tennessee). We knew he was quirky (what knuckleballer isn't?)
Who knew he was this tough?
The Mets, nervous about being seen as lax on injuries after the medical debacles of the last few years, gladly would have let him skip a day or two or even a whole turn if Dickey had asked out.
He didn't ask out. He did ask Giants quarterback Eli Manning in a text message exchange for tips on how to play with the injury, but Manning actually had plantar fasciitis, which is not the same condition.
The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue (ligament) that connects the heel bone to the toes. It supports the arch of the foot. Dickey's is partially torn, but the doctors told him he couldn't hurt it any worse. That whether he pitched depended on his tolerance for pain. So he made plans to tolerate.
And in the eighth inning, with two outs and a man on first, Dickey was still standing.
He hit Jose Tabata with a pitch. Collins left him in.
But why take Dickey out when the next batter was rookie third baseman Josh Harrison, who was playing in his first major-league game? Surely, Dickey's knuckleball was no match for the neophyte in a big spot.
Except Harrison, who had singled for his first big-league hit in the third, poked another single to right to tie the game at 1.
Still, Collins kept his fanny in his seat. Dickey had struck out Andrew McCutchen three straight times and had a career-high 10 for the game.
Except McCutchen walked to load the bases.
Jason Isringhausen was ready in the bullpen. But Mets relievers let a couple of games get away against the Phillies this weekend.
The batter was Neil Walker, a second baseman masquerading as a cleanup man. A switch hitter, Walker hit righthanded against Dickey.
Collins left Dickey in. And Walker lined a two-run single to center to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead in what would become a 5-1 Mets loss.
"Even more than that pitch, the two-out hit batsman was the pitch I regret the most," Dickey said. "It feels like you got kicked in the teeth. And it should."
After Walker's hit whistled past him, Dickey jogged toward the plate to back up. He barely made it to dirt near the first-base line. Then he took the long walk back up to the mound and the longer one to the dugout after giving Collins the ball.
Mets fans cheered as Dickey left. They cheered the guy who had just given up the go-ahead hit in the eighth inning.
But you know what: Who could blame them?
