The headline made for a convenient play on words, but in reality R.A. Dickey was quite good tonight, allowing just one run on six hits in seven innings of "work". He struck out four and walked none, getting 10% swinging strikes and twice as many ground outs as fly outs. You'd take that performance every time out, and if the Mets' impotent bats managed more than a few hits off Brewers starter Dave Bush this game could have turned out differently.

Whatever else the Mets do this offseason, R.A. Dickey should get a hefty raise in arbitration, which he is entitled to for one more season provided the Mets don't release him. Dickey would be eligible for free agency following the 2011 season, and there is certainly a chance the Mets will look to lock him up for two or three years. Then again, 2010 was by far Dickey's best season as a pro so the Mets would be understandably reluctant to extend him an offer of significant value without seeing if he can keep up pitching like this for a little while longer.

Dickey will finish the season with a top-ten NL walk rate, which is amazing for anyone let alone a guy who throws just 16% fastballs (and 84% knuckleballs). Not bad for a spring training depth pickup.

Some other things:

• Forget what I said after the first game. Pedro Feliciano set a new franchise mark for pitching appearances in a season with his 91st in this game. He is tied with Kent Tekulve for fifth all time in single-season appearances. Mike Marshall has the record with 106 appearances in 1974. Feliciano needs two more appearances to tie Salomon Torres and Tekulve (again) for second all time with 94 appearances.
• Angel Pagan went 2-for-4 with his 37th stolen base of the season. He has been caught just nine times.
• Former Met Carlos Gomez went 3-for-4.
• Ike Davis drew his 65th unintentional walk of the season, which is pretty damned good for a 23-year-old who had just minor league 275 plate appearances above A-ball before his call-up to the Mets this season.
• Mets hitters collected just five singles and three walks tonight and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Their lone run scored on a Davis sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth.

Poem by Howard Megdal

When I think of this season, I won't often chuckle
But the fondest rememberances came from a knuckle

SB Nation Coverage

* Traditional Recap
* Boxscore
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Brew Crew Ball Gamethread

Win Probability Added

Big winners: R.A. Dickey, +23.4% WPA, Jose Reyes, +7.1% WPA
Big losers: David Wright, -18.5% WPA, Joaquin Arias, -14.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Pagan single in eighth, +8.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Braun two-run double in eighth, -18.4% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: +8.3% WPA
Total batter WPA: -58.3% WPA
GWRBI!: Ryan Braun

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by MookieTheCat; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.