ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The New York Mets had gone 8,019 games in franchise history without a no-hitter until Johan Santana performed the feat June 1. They don’t want to wait that long again. After R.A. Dickey shut down the Tampa Bay Rays tonight, and now has the longest streak of scoreless innings in franchise history, Mets management is going to appeal an official scorekeepers decision of a first-inning base hit.
Terry Collins said afterward the Mets will appeal to Major League Baseball to have the scoring decision changed to an error.
It came on what was scored a two-out infield single in the first inning by B.J. Upton, a ball on which third baseman David Wright was unable to field cleanly with his bare hand. The scorekeeper ruled it a base hit. Mets manager Terry Collins said after the game, “We’re probably not going to win it,” Collins said. “David tried to make it. It’s B.J. running. But what the heck?
What have you got to lose except to have somebody say no? You’ve got an All-Star third baseman who comes in and tries to make a play.” An MLB committee can reverse an official scorer’s decision. Dickey now owns the franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings with 32 2/3 after not allowing a run until the ninth Wednesday night. He eclipsed the 31 2/3-inning streak set by Jerry Koosman in 1973.
UPDATE – 06/15/12 – According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Mets appeal was denied by major league baseball. Joe Torre, MLB’s executive vice president, upheld the official scoring of the play on Friday .
