R.A. Dickey pitched eight innings of shutout ball against the Texas Rangers on Friday night, dragging his ERA back down to 4.31 and showing some signs of an early turnaround following his unsteady start to the season.
The 41-year-old knuckleballer is a second-half performer, an idea conveniently forgotten by the angered, early-April masses. Entering this season fully healthy after dealing with a torn meniscus in his knee for much of last year and dropping some weight in the offseason, though, Dickey has set himself up to shake off the cobwebs a little earlier than usual.
If his last three starts are any indication, it’s happening.