TORONTO — This horror show wasn’t part of R.A. Dickey’s narrative.
TORONTO — This horror show wasn’t part of R.A. Dickey’s narrative.
The 40-year-old knuckleballer, making his second career postseason start, failed to make it through two innings Tuesday in the Blue Jays’ 14-2 loss to the Royals in Game 4 of the ALCS. The blowout at Rogers Centre has Toronto on the brink of elimination.
“It was ugly today,” manager John Gibbons said. “No doubt about that.”
The defending American League champion Royals can send the AL East winners home Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s sad when you can’t perform to the level that you know you’re capable of, and you don’t get the results you hope to get,” Dickey said. “It’s painful for everybody.”
On the eve of the start, Dickey, with a half-smile, pondered being part of the Blue Jays’ trade with the Mets in December 2012 that sent, among others, Noah Syndergaard to Queens.
“What a script that would be if I could face Syndergaard in Game 7,” Dickey said. “I’m hoping that we play those guys in the World Series. It would certainly make for a great narrative.”
Instead, it’s the Royals’ relentless lineup that is a victory away from a return to the Series. The first four Kansas City hitters reached base in a four-run first inning that took the noisy sellout crowd of 49,501 out of it early.
“We like the way we’re playing right now,” manager Ned Yost said. “Our offense has been really, really good.”
It produced 15 hits, with three from Alex Rios and two each by the first three in the lineup — Alcides Escobar, Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain. Paulo Orlando, who pinch ran for Rios, also had two hits, making the No. 9 spot in the order 5-for-5.
Dickey allowed five runs (four earned), four hits and two walks in 12/3 innings. Zobrist hit a two-run homer in the first, and Rios led off the second with a homer that made it 5-0.