After another lackluster outing last weekend, Braves right-hander R.A. Dickey declared himself “embarrassed” by his performance in his first season with the Braves.
Five days later, Dickey’s knuckleball was so good that the Phillies were taking embarrassing hacks at it during a 3-1 loss to the Braves on Thursday at SunTrust Park.
“You saw a lot of ugly swings, which means it’s moving a lot,” Braves outfielder Matt Kemp said.
Dickey on Thursday held the Phillies to a season-low one run and three hits with eight strikeouts over seven innings. He also didn’t walk any batters for the first time in 12 starts, a significant development because Dickey blamed an unusually high walk percentage for much of his struggles this season.
Dickey said the knuckleball was “the best it’s been all year” because it was moving a lot and late. The frustration he expressed after his previous start was replaced by optimism that he’s tamed his best pitch. Dickey said he told manager Brian Snitker that this performance was “more of what I feel you should expect out of me.”
In his previous 11 starts this season Dickey had a 5.10 ERA with 34 walks and 32 strikeouts over 65 1/3 innings.
“I’ve really been battling myself all year,” Dickey said. “I knew all along I am capable of much, much more. Now, this is one game, but I feel like if I am able to take what I did tonight and repeat that then the next 22 starts are going to be pretty daggum good if I can do that. Now that’s the challenge.”
The Phillies were lunging at Dickey’s knuckleball all night, with some of their swings so wild that bats flew out of their hands. Third baseman Maikel Franco’s bat ended up stuck in the netting behind home plate in the fifth inning, delaying the game as umpires, players and Braves staffers tried to extract it.
“That happens a lot,” Dickey said “If it’s good, you are going to see some really awkward swings on it.”
Dickey faced one more than the minimum 18 batters through six innings. Odubel Herrera led off the seventh with a weakly-hit ball that went down the left-field line for a double. He scored when Franco hit the ball near the handle of his bat for a single to right field.
For most of the night the Phillies took third strikes on Dickey’s fastball or flailed and missed at the knuckleball.
“I’ve never seen a ball move like that,” Braves second baseman Brandon Phillips said. “Today he had that ‘Bugs Bunny’ going, it was moving everywhere and it was very nice.”
