NEW YORK (AP) - Buck Showalter has turned the Baltimore Orioles into a winning team this season. The manager was largely responsible for their latest loss, too.
R.A. Dickey became the first major league pitcher in 24 years to throw consecutive one-hitters and Ike Davis hit a grand slam to lead the New York Mets past Baltimore 5-0 on Monday night.
One of the people Dickey (11-1) can thank for his unlikely success story is Showalter, who was instrumental in persuading the right-hander to remake himself into a knuckleballer when both were with the Texas Rangers.
``It's pleasant to see him, but not see him pitch,'' Showalter said. ``It's a challenging night. Hitters are seeing things they don't normally see. Umpires are seeing pitches they don't normally see. Tonight, it was a challenge for both.''
Coming off a one-hit gem at Tampa Bay last Wednesday, Dickey struck out a career-high 13 and allowed only Wilson Betemit's clean single in the fifth inning. He has not permitted an earned run in 42 2-3 innings, the second-longest stretch in club history behind Dwight Gooden's streak of 49 innings in 1985.
``There's really not a whole lot you can do when he's throwing knuckleballs that move that much and he's throwing strikes,'' Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy said. ``It's tough, really tough. If you can control a knuckleball and throw it for strikes, it's hard enough to catch, let alone hit it.''
The previous pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters was Dave Stieb for Toronto in September 1988, according to STATS LLC. The Mets said the last to match the feat - or top it - in the National League was Jim Tobin with the 1944 Boston Braves, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau. Tobin tossed a one-hitter followed by a no-hitter.
The 37-year-old Dickey walked two and became the first 11-game winner in the majors, befuddling Baltimore with knucklers that ranged from 66-81 mph in a game that took just 2 hours, 7 minutes. He fanned the final two hitters, topping his previous career best of 12 strikeouts set Wednesday against the Rays.
``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.''
A longtime journeyman before joining the Mets in 2010, Dickey has won nine straight decisions and six consecutive starts. He is tied for the major league lead in ERA (2.00), strikeouts (103) and complete games (three).
It was his fourth game this season with double-digit strikeouts, most in the majors, and the fifth of his career. The right-hander has an incredible 71 strikeouts and six walks in his last seven starts.
Betemit's two-out single in the fifth ended Dickey's franchise-record streak of 13 hitless innings.
``Do I have a chance to appeal that base hit? Did anybody dive for that ball? I got a bad view,'' Mets manager Terry Collins said, drawing laughs.
The only blemish Wednesday night was B.J. Upton's infield single with two outs in the first, a high bouncer that third baseman David Wright tried to field with his bare hand.
After the game, the Mets appealed the official scoring decision to Major League Baseball, asking the commissioner's office to review the play and consider whether Wright should be charged with an error, thus giving Dickey the team's second no-hitter this month. The appeal was denied and Dickey said he was relieved, explaining that there would have been ``an asterisk by it bigger than the no-hitter itself.''
``He has no wild pitches this year. That's impressive,'' Baltimore slugger Adam Jones said. ``He's in a groove.''
Before the game, Showalter explained what led the Rangers to suggest that Dickey commit to the knuckleball, which he throws harder and with more precision than just about anyone else who's made a living on it.
``He had every attribute of a major league pitcher except the arm,'' Showalter said, his thoughts then turning to the fact that his team was about to face Dickey. ``I wish it hadn't happened.''
After the game, Dickey said he would be remiss not to thank Showalter.
``You know, and this is a tip of the hat to him: It was fairly poetic, I thought. The last game he saw me pitch live I gave up six home runs and tied a modern-day major league record,'' Dickey said. ``It's really incredible.''
Dickey even sparked the New York rally with a leadoff single in the sixth against Jake Arrieta (3-9), a question mark to make his start until just a few hours before the game because he had been feeling ill the past few days.
Jordany Valdespin doubled with one out and Dickey had to scramble back to third after he initially broke the wrong way on Wright's lineout to shortstop. The pitcher barely beat the throw, and that turned out to be a crucial play.
Lucas Duda walked and Davis hit the next pitch just to the left of center for his seventh home run of the year and first career slam.
The four RBIs set a career high for Davis. His drive would have stayed in the ballpark before the Citi Field fences were brought in this season.
Valdespin tripled off Kevin Gregg in the eighth and scored on Wright's single.
NOTES: Baltimore, which had won seven of eight, was coming off consecutive shutouts in Atlanta. ... Dickey has a 1.21 ERA and 88 strikeouts during his nine-game winning streak. It was his fifth career shutout and second this season, both in June. ... Showalter said INF Robert Andino would be back in the lineup Tuesday night.
