The New York Mets stand at 6 games over .500 for the first time since July 2010 and a recent run of dominant pitching is a big reason why. During the long 4 day Memorial Day Weekend series(May 24th thru 28th) vs the San Diego Padres at Citi Field, the pitching staff did not allow a run over the final 26 innings. Starters Dillon Gee, Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey combined with the relief corps to put the zeroes up. The back to back shutouts Saturday and Sunday where the first since Last May when the Mets did it to the division rival Washington Nationals.
R.A Dickey has been a god send for the Mets since joining the team in 2010 and Sunday was another good example. The 37 year old pitched his 7th quality start in a row(6 innings or more, 3 earned runs or less) while K-ing 10 in 7 and a third innings during the 2-0 win. The knuckleballer became the 1st Mets starting pitcher since Pedro Martinez in 2006 to strike out double digit batters in back to back games. He has 29 Ks in his last 3 starts, tying him for the 2nd highest total over a 3 game span during the 2012 major league season. In 3+ years with New York, Dickey improves to 25-23 with a 3.13 ERA in 69 games(67 starts). More importantly, he brings stability and a pro’s approach to a team that has not been easy to play for at times during his stay. The Mets should make every effort to keep him in Flushing for years to come.