Dickey nets 200 innings for fourth straight year

NEW YORK -- When R.A. Dickey retired his first hitter in the fourth inning of the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss to the Yankees on Thursday night, he reached the 200-innings mark for the fourth consecutive season.

He has thrown the fifth-most innings in the Majors since the start of 2011, trailing the Royals' James Shields, the Tigers' Justin Verlander, the Mariners' Felix Hernandez and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw.

"It means that you've been consistent," Dickey said. "And that's a goal that, at the beginning of every year, that I hope for -- to be trustworthy and consistent. And if you're getting into the 200's with your innings pitched, you've usually been good enough to stay out there for six and seven innings, and eight innings a night. That's the hope for every starter."

Dickey turned in another solid outing, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings, but he did not factor into the decision. For him, reaching this milestone is another way he can help prove he was worth trading for back in December 2012.

Toronto acquired Dickey, Josh Thole, the knuckleballer's personal catcher, and catcher Mike Nickeas from the Mets for Travis d'Arnaud, the Mets' current everyday catcher, right-hander Noah Syndergaard, catcher John Buck and outfielder Wuilmer Becerra.

"You want to be worth what was given up for you, at least I do. I want to be worth it," he said. "And part of being worth it is being consistently out there on the field."