MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Seattle Mariners knuckleballer R.A. Dickey tied a major league record by throwing four wild pitches in an inning Sunday against the Minnesota Twins.
Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima also was charged with a passed ball on another errant pitch in the fifth. The Twins scored on two of Dickey's wild pitches.The Metrodome's still air usually provides a friendly environment for knuckleballs, but this time it didn't help.
"It was moving violently. If I could have thrown it for strikes, it would have been a real fun day I think," Dickey said. "But I couldn't throw it for strikes."
In and out of the rotation this season, Dickey has thrown 11 wild pitches in 97 innings. He entered the game in the fourth in relief of starter Ryan Feierabend and allowed three hits, three walks and two runs while recording only four outs.
Dickey became the fifth major league pitcher to throw four wild pitches in an inning. Philadelphia's Ryan Madson was the last to do it, in 2006.
Another knuckleballer, Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, is on the list. So is Hall of Famer Walter Johnson and current Marlins closer Kevin Gregg - who was with the Angels when he tied the record.
