Your first 10-game winner of the season is R.A. Dickey of the Mets. Climber of mountains, writer of books, eschewer of ulnar collateral ligaments and now 10-game winner before the middle of June -- that's the knuckle-balling Dickey for you.
Your second 10-game winner of 2012 is the Cardinals' Lance Lynn. In the course of a gem that concluded not long after Dickey's, Lynn whiffed 12 White Sox in a 1-0 duel with Jake Peavy.
If you are (wisely and much to your credit) not particularly into a flawed and fading stat like pitcher win-loss records, then know that Dickey (2.20 ERA) has pitched every bit as well as his 10 early wins would lead you to believe. In fact, Dickey's streak of 32 2/3 scorless innings, which spanned from May 22 until the ninth inning on Wednesday, is a franchise record. Lynn (2.42 ERA) is similarly deserving of whatever attention is being heaped upon him.
In Dickey's case, should he have thrown a no-hitter against the Rays? The only hit he surrendered was a first-inning infield single off the bat of B.J. Upton. It was a single that could've easily been ruled an error on third baseman David Wright ...
Upton is indeed speedy down the line, but there's fair chance that Wright gets him if he fields it cleanly (and preferably with his glove). In any event, it was ruled a hit, and Dickey proceeded not to give up another one.
As for Lynn, besides those 12 whiffs he walked one and gave up just three hits in 7.1 spotless frames against Chicago.
Wednesday night's outcome put Lynn on pace to go 26-5 with just two no-decisions in a projected 33 starts. Dickey, meantime, is on target for a record of 26-3. No, neither trend is likely to hold up, of course, but as long as the subject is pitcher wins and losses ...
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