Schwei: Dickey Giving Mets Fans Something To Watch
By John Schweibacher
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R.A. Dickey's attempt to become a 20-game winner is one of the few storylines remaining for the Mets this September.
The knuckleballer became the first Mets pitcher to win 18 games in a season since 1990 with his 6-2 victory over the Cardinals last week in St. Louis.
The last Mets pitcher to finish a season with 19 wins was Dwight Gooden in 1990. Mets pitchers have won 19 or more games 11 times in club history:
•25 Tom Seaver 1969
•24 Dwight Gooden 1985
•22 Tom Seaver 1975
•21 Jerry Koosman 1976
•21 Tom Seaver 1972
•20 Tom Seaver 1971
•20 David Cone 1988
•20 Frank Viola 1990
•19 Jerry Koosman 1968
•19 Tom Seaver 1973
•19 Dwight Gooden 1990
No Mets pitcher has reached 20 wins since Frank Viola in 1990. Only six teams in baseball have gone longer without a 20-game winner and thanks to Gio Gonzalez and Johnny Cueto, two of the other droughts may also be coming to an end:
•Montreal/Washington 1978 Ross Grimsley
•San Diego 1978 Gaylord Perry
•Baltimore 1984 Mike Boddicker
•Milwaukee 1986 Ted Higuera
•Cincinnati 1988 Danny Jackson
•Kansas City 1989 Bret Saberhagen
Ike Davis leads the National League with 19 road home runs. The Mets' first baseman hit his 19th road homer last Wednesday afternoon in the Mets' 6-2 win in St. Louis. With one more homer away from Citi Field, Davis would join this list -- Mets who have hit 20-or-more home runs on the road in a single season:
•26 Carlos Beltran 2006
•23 Howard Johnson 1987
•22 Carlos Beltran 2007
•22 Mike Piazza 1999
•22 Dave Kingman 1975
•21 Mike Piazza 2002
•21 Mike Piazza 2000
•21 Todd Hundley 1996
•21 Dave Kingman 1976
•20 Carlos Delgado 2006
•20 Mike Piazza 2000
•20 Gary Carter 1985
Excluding switch-hitters, Ike Davis (2012), Carlos Delgado (2006), Robin Ventura (1999) and Darryl Strawberry (1987) are the only left-handed Mets hitters to have hit at least 19 road home runs in a single season.
Ronny Cedeno hit a pinch-hit home run in the Mets' loss to the Braves this past Saturday. It was the club's ninth pinch-homer of the season, matching the third highest total for a season in Mets' history (1962 and 1966). The Mets hit 12 pinch home runs in 1983 and 11 in 1997.
1983 Mets Pinch-Hit Home Runs (12):
•Danny Heep 4
•Rusty Staub 3
•Mark Bradley 2
•George Foster 1
•Mike Jorgensen 1
•Dave Kingman 1
1997 Mets Pinch-Hit Home Runs (11):
•Matt Franco 3
•Butch Huskey 2
•Alex Ochoa 2
•Carl Everett 1
•Shawn Gilbert 1
•Bernard Gilkey 1
•Brian McRae 1
1962 Mets Pinch-Hit Home Runs (9):
•Marv Throneberry 2
•Ed Bouchee 2
•Choo Choo Coleman 2
•Felix Mantilla 1
•Jim Hickman 1
•Gene Woodling 1
1966 Mets Pinch-Hit Home Runs (9):
•Ron Swoboda 2
•Chuck Hiller 2
•Ed Kranepool 1
•John Stephenson 1
•Billy Murphy 1
•Hawk Taylor 1
•Jim Hickman 1
2012 Mets Pinch-Hit Home Runs (9):
•Jordany Valdespin 5
•Scott Hairston 2
•Ronny Cedeno 2
The Mets conclude their next-to-last homestand of 2012 with three games against the Washington Nationals before heading to Milwaukee this weekend to face the Brewers.
The Mets have now gone 4-19 in their last 23 home games, 22 of which have been played since the All-Star break.
Wins at Citi Field since the All-Star Break:
•Braves 5
•Mets 4
•Rockies 4
•Dodgers 3
•Nationals 3
•Marlins 2
•Astros 1
The Mets have gone just 4 and 11 against the NL East-leading Nationals so far in 2012, winning just one of the six games played so far vs. Washington at Citi Field.
The Brewers and Mets split their two games at Citi Field back in May in their only series meeting this season. The Mets took two of three in Milwaukee in their last visit to Miller Park back in June 2011.
Schwei's Runs, Hits and Errors:
Runs: Starting Strong. Over the last 21 games, Mets starting pitchers have posted a 3.09 ERA (44 earned runs in 128 and 1/3 innings).
Hits: Daylight Dickey. R.A. Dickey now has won 12 day games this season, one shy of Tom Seaver's club record 12 set in 1975.
Errors: Three Runs or Less. Mets have failed to score more than three times in 10 consecutive home games, one shy of matching the club record of 11 set in 1966 and again in 1979.
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