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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Mets looking for a no-no, plan on appealing Upton’s hit

Posted Jun 14, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Jun 14, 2012 at 12:35 AM

ROGER MOONEY
ST. PETERSBURG Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey came within an infield hit of throwing a no-hitter Wednesday in a 9-1 victory against the Rays, and the Mets are going to see if they can get the official scoring overruled to change the hit to an error.

If so, the Mets will have their second no-hitter of the month after not having one since their inception in 1962.

The play in question was B.J. Upton’s slow roller up the third base line with two out in the first inning that Mets third baseman David Wright tried to field with his bare hand. Wright had to rush the play because of Upton’s speed and could not field the ball cleanly.

Official scorer Bill Mathews ruled it a hit, which didn’t seem important at the time. Then Dickey retired the next 22 batters. He allowed one more base runner – Elliot Johnson, who reached on Wright’s throwing error in the ninth inning.

Mets manager Terry Collins said they will go through the process of having Upton’s changed to an error.

“We said in the ninth inning that we’ve got to appeal that play,” he said. “We’re probably not going to win it, but, what the heck. What have you got to lose except to have somebody say no? If anybody deserved a no-hitter or a perfect game tonight, it was him.”

When asked if he thought the play should have been ruled a hit, Wright said, “I don’t know. I tried to make the play. I didn’t make it. It’s as simple as that. I don’t think I could have got him with the glove. I tried to bare-hand it. It hit the lip and skipped on me, and I didn’t make the play. If they want to go back and give me an error, they can do that. I wish it would have been somebody a little bit slower where I could have took my time and gloved it.”

Upton, who was running to first base and didn’t see Wright try to field the ball, said he thought it was a hit.

“When I hit it I thought it was going to be a tough play for him,” Upton said. “I felt like it was going to be a hit.”

Dickey said he was all for the appeal, even if it meant a delay in celebrating a no-hitter.

“A Hail Mary is a good analogy,” he said. “It don’t know? It’s up to them. B.J.’s quick, and I’ve seen David make that play a lot of times with his bare hand. You give him 10 times, he’s going to make it eight. It just kicked off his palm a little bit.”