Mets 3, Marlins 0
MIAMI -- R.A. Dickey won his 17th game of the season, tying him for the major-league lead, as the Mets defeated the Marlins, 3-0, Friday night before 23,099 fans at Marlins Park.
The Mets' veteran allowed five hits and three walks, striking out seven. He improved to 17-4 with a 2.63 ERA.
Dickey was supported by Ike Davis, who slugged his 25th homer of the season, a two-run shot to the upper deck in right field. Davis has 18 road homers this season, the most in the National League, and has rallied from a lengthy slump to start his season.
It was Dickey's fifth complete game of the season, which ties him for the league lead. It is the most complete games by a Mets pitcher since Dwight Gooden's seven in 1993.
Dickey is tied for the big-league high in wins with Johnny Cueto of the Reds. Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals was also bidding for his 17th win Friday night.
Dickey worked out of several jams, including a two-on situation in the eighth, when he got Jose Reyes on a groundout and Carlos Lee on a fly out. Dickey also picked Reyes off first base in the sixth inning.
Taking the loss was Marlins rookie Nathan Eovaldi, who pitched fairly well, allowing just four hits and one walk in seven innings. Unfortunately for Eovaldi, one of those hits was Davis' homer.
The Mets scored the game's first run on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly to center by Davis. The run was set up by Ruben Tejada, who led off with a single and sped to third on a single to left-center by Daniel Murphy.
For the first three innings, the game evolved into a pitching duel between two vastly different pitchers. Eovaldi is a hard-throwing rookie whose fastball was ranging at about 96 mph on Friday, and he's just 22 years old.
Dickey, 37, throws a knuckleball that ranges in the mid-70s. While Eovaldi entered with a 4-9 record and a 4.54 ERA, Dickey came in tied for second in the majors in wins (16) and fourth in the National League in ERA (2.76).
Eovaldi set down the first nine Mets in order. Dickey didn't allow a hit until the third inning.
Dickey pitched out of a two-on jam in the third by getting ex-Met Jose Reyes to strike out swinging. Dickey got out of a two-on jam in the fourth by getting Donovan Solano to bounce into a double play.
NOTES: Entering Friday, Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton had 85 career home runs, ranking him ninth in baseball history for most long balls by a player before he reached his 23rd birthday. Stanton turns 23 in November. ... Mets third baseman David Wright is second in the National League with a .340 road batting average.
