R.A. Dickey pitches into 8th inning, hits 2-run single to lead Mets over Astros 5-1

Dickey leads Mets past Astros 5-1 with arm, bat

NEW YORK — R.A. Dickey flustered the Houston Astros with knuckleballs and foiled them with his bat, leading the New York Mets to a 5-1 victory Sunday.

Josh Thole homered and Dickey keyed a second-inning rally with a two-run single that helped the Mets end Bud Norris’ four-game winning streak. New York took two of three from the Astros and hasn’t lost a series at home to Houston since 2002.

Luis Castillo added an RBI single and the Mets went 4-3 against the Astros the past two weeks in a season series marked by some strikingly inept offense on both sides.

Dickey (9-5) yielded six hits in seven-plus innings and had a pair of singles at the plate to aid his own cause. He was pulled following Tommy Manzella’s leadoff single in the eighth and received a warm ovation from the Citi Field crowd of 32,779.

Bobby Parnell induced a double-play grounder from No. 3 batter Hunter Pence, then gave up a single and a double before retiring Jason Michaels to end the inning. Hisanori Takahashi worked a scoreless ninth.

Houston had won six of seven and 11 of 16. The Astros finished 6-4 on this trip for their first winning road swing since June 29 to July 5, 2009.

A surprise bright spot for the Mets this season, Dickey is making a strong bid for a place in New York’s rotation next year, too. He allowed one run and threw 75 of 108 pitches for strikes Sunday, again showing a unique ability to command his dancing knuckleball — perhaps the most difficult pitch to master.

Norris (6-8) entered 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA in six starts since July 28, including a 3-2 victory over the Mets on Aug. 19 at home. Houston was unbeaten in those six games and the right-hander had gone at least six innings in all of them, but New York snapped that string.

David Wright drew a leadoff walk in the second and went to third on Ike Davis’ double. A walk to Thole loaded the bases before Luis Hernandez struck out.

That brought up Dickey, who came into the game batting .171 with three RBIs. He bounced a single up the middle to put the Mets in front, and they never looked back.

Angel Pagan followed with an RBI groundout and Castillo dumped a run-scoring single into right-center. In the previous five games, New York was 4 for 34 (.118) with runners in scoring position.

Jason Castro doubled to start the third for Houston and scored from third on an infield single by Michael Bourn.

Thole hit a solo shot in the sixth off a soda sign on the facing of the second deck in right, his second homer of the season.

NOTES: Geoff Blum started at 2B for Houston. He rejoined the team Saturday after missing three games with discomfort in his neck. Blum, who hit a tying homer off Dickey in the ninth inning Aug. 18, went 2 for 4 with a double. … Carlos Lee was at first base again for the Astros instead of slumping rookie Brett Wallace. Houston manager Brad Mills said it was a good day to get Michaels a start in Citi Field’s spacious left field, Lee’s regular spot. The lumbering Lee entered 7 for 11 with a homer and five RBIs against Dickey before going 0 for 3 against him. … Astros closer Matt Lindstrom, on the disabled list since Aug. 17 with a back strain, said he planned to throw in the bullpen. The session was pushed back Saturday because Lindstrom felt some stiffness in his back. … Houston 2B Jeff Keppinger (left big toe) was scheduled to get three at-bats in a rehab game with Double-A Corpus Christi. Keppinger has been on the DL since Aug. 17. … Hernandez, called up Friday from Triple-A Buffalo, made his first start for the Mets in place of ailing SS Jose Reyes (right oblique strain), who took a few swings in the indoor cage but isn’t ready to return yet. Hernandez didn’t even have a nameplate in the New York lineup listed outside the clubhouse — his name was written in blue marker.