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Dickey faces former club

Jun 18, 2015 - 2:33 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - R.A. Dickey will face the New York Mets for the first time since his exit from the club following an award-winning season as the Toronto Blue Jays host the finale of this extended home-and-home series.

Dickey spent three seasons with the Mets from 2010-12, posting a 20-6 record and 2.73 earned run average over 34 games in his last campaign with the club. That was good enough to earn the veteran knuckleballer the 2012 NL Cy Young Award and New York cashed in by trading Dickey to the Blue Jays on Dec. 17, 2012 in a deal that netted the Mets a profitable return that included catcher Travis d'Arnaud and starter Noah Syndergaard.

d'Arnaud is currently serving as New York's starting catcher and Syndergaard reached the majors for the first time this season, with the top prospect striking out 11 over a no-decision in Monday's series-opening win for the Mets.

Dickey, meanwhile, has gone 30-32 with a 4.17 ERA in 81 starts with the Blue Jays, including a 2-6 mark and 5.29 ERA through 13 starts this season. He is winless over his past four outings (0-1) and received a second straight no- decision on Saturday in Boston after allowing four runs -- three earned -- over six innings.

The 40-year-old righty is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in two previous meetings with the Mets, including one start.

New York counters with its own well-traveled veteran in Bartolo Colon, who looks to join Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole and Felix Hernandez of Seattle as the lone 10-game winners in baseball.

Colon has yielded three or fewer runs in four straight outings, bouncing back from a tough-luck 2-1 loss to Arizona with a 5-3 victory over Atlanta on Friday. He yielded two runs on six hits and two walks over six innings, striking out three and improving to 9-4 with a 4.41 ERA this season.

"Today he didn't have his good stuff, he didn't have the good movement that he usually has," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Colon. "He battles so well that you kind of liked where you were after six innings."

The 42-year-old righty has made 25 starts versus Toronto over his career, going 10-5 with a 4.02 ERA.

The Blue Jays had an 11-game winning streak snapped as they lost the first two contests of this set in New York, where they are 0-11 all-time, but rebounded in a return home to post an 8-0 victory last night.

Danny Valencia hit a three-run homer and Kevin Pillar added a solo shot and drove in two runs. Chris Colabello, Ezequiel Carrera and Russell Martin each had a RBI for the Blue Jays.

Drew Hutchinson scattered four hits and a walk while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings for the win.

"I wasn't as sharp as I like to be," said Hutchinson. "I want to get deeper into games, but I was able to make big pitches when I needed to and I thought tonight was a good step."

Jon Niese allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings for the Mets, who had a three-game winning streak stopped and still lead the NL East by 1 1/2 games despite falling to 10-20 on the road this season.

"We've got to pick things up a little bit," said Collins. "What you guys are saying is legit, we gotta start playing better on the road and win some games."

The Mets are 17-7 all-time against Toronto.