”They deserved to win those 3 games. They beat us … they just beat us up for three days. I don’t think the Mets could have played any better.” -- Rays manager Joe Maddon after the Mets completed the sweep of his team

Stat of the Series

The Mets scored at least nine runs in each of the three games against the Rays. It marked the third time the Mets scored at least nine runs in three straight road games within the same series. The other instances were in 1970 and 1990 against the Cubs.

Player of the Series: Hip, Hip, R.A.

R.A. Dickey didn’t just break Jerry Koosman’s club record for longest scoreless streak, which ended at 32 2/3 innings …

He threw the third one-hitter in Mets history that featured at least 12 strikeouts. Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan each threw 15-strikeout one-hitters against the Phillies in 1970.

He became the sixth Mets pitcher to throw multiple complete-game victories (at least nine innings in length), allowing one hit or less. It’s an eclectic group led by Seaver (who had five such games), along with Gary Gentry, Jon Matlack, David Cone and Steve Trachsel, who each had two.

He became the 11th starting pitcher in the Live-Ball Era (since 1920) to win a game in which he pitched at least nine innings, struck out at least 12, walked none, and allowed no hits or one hit.

The names on this list include Sandy Koufax (in his perfect game in 1965), Kerry Wood (in his 20-strikeout game in 1998), Pedro Martinez (twice for the Red Sox, including once against the Rays) and most recently Randy Johnson in his perfect game against the Braves in 2004.

He became the second Mets starter to have four straight starts of at least seven innings, without allowing an earned run. Dwight Gooden had a five-start stretch in September, 1985, allowing just one unearned run.

Coincidentally, Gooden pitched a one-hitter against the Cubs in September, 1984, that was a near-duplicate of Dickey’s game. The only hit in that one was an infield single by Keith Moreland that some felt should have been an error on Mets third baseman Ray Knight.

Left + Left = Right

Mets left-handed hitters had an unusually good day against left-handed pitching on Tuesday, going 6-for-12 with a home run, seven RBIs, and no strikeouts. The lefty hitters ended up 10-for-26 with 10 RBIs against Rays lefties for the series.

Entering the first game of the series, Mets left-handed hitters (including pitchers) were hitting .210 with 109 strikeouts in 334 at-bats versus left-handed pitching for the season.

Feat (not Feet) of the Series

Chris Young got a rare caught stealing when Josh Thole threw out Elliott Johnson in Tuesday’s win. Dating back to last season, Young has gotten two caught stealings in the past three attempts, after allowing 26 consecutive successful stolen base attempts from 2008 to 2011.

Obscure Stat of the Series

From the land of obscurity, frequent Mets tormentor Hideki Matsui had an RBI on his 38th birthday in the series opener on Tuesday.

Thanks to the amazing Baseball-Reference.com, we can tell you that he became the fifth player to get an RBI on his birthday against the Mets twice. Matsui also did so in 2009, on his 35th birthday.

The other four double-birthday celebrators are Doug Rader, Ted Simmons, Joel Youngblood, and Derek Jeter.