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SAN FRANCISCO -- With his knuckleball dancing at a variety of speeds, R.A. Dickey once again looked like the Cy Young Award winner the Toronto Blue Jays acquired in the off-season. Dickey allowed two hits in 8 1-3 innings and sparked a four-run fifth with an RBI double, leading Toronto to a 4-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. "He was just about perfect today," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He had it all going on. He was in the strike zone. Everything was really dancing today. ... Thats him at his best right there." Mark DeRosa added a two-run single and Adam Lind had three hits for his eighth multihit performance in the past 12 games, helping the Blue Jays earn a split of the two-game series. Barry Zito (4-4) was done in by the one big inning and lost at home for the first time since last August. The defending World Series champion Giants have lost 11 of 18 games heading into a nine-game road trip. Dickey (5-7) bounced back from a pair of rough starts in which he allowed six runs each to Baltimore and Atlanta. With the back and neck problems that contributed to his slow start in Toronto now in the past, Dickey returned to the form that helped him dominate the National League last season for the New York Mets. He was able to change speeds with his knuckler and throw it for strikes all game, getting the Giants to swing early in a very efficient outing. "I was changing speeds a lot today, which was good," Dickey said. "I was able to throw a 63, 64 miles per hour one for a strike and I was able to throw a 79 miles per hour one for a strike. As Ive gotten healthier, I felt like Ive been able to have the latitude to be able to do that. Before it was just trying to muster everything I could to survive an outing." Dickey retired his first 11 batters before Pablo Sandoval lined a clean single to right field. He didnt allow another baserunner until Hunter Pence walked to lead off the eighth in his best start since joining the Blue Jays in the off-season. He was replaced after allowing a single to Gregor Blanco and walking Marco Scutaro with one out in the ninth inning. "He was commanding the knuckleball to where he wanted to throw it," Blanco said. "He was unbelievable. ... He has a lot of movement on it, which makes him so difficult. You dont know where the ball will go. You have to hit a mistake like I did in the last inning when that ball hung up." Casey Janssen got Sandoval to hit into a double play for his 12th save in 12 chances. The Blue Jays also helped Dickey with their gloves, with shortstop Maicer Izturis making diving stops to rob Buster Posey and Sandoval of possible hits. Zito ran into trouble when he walked struggling No. 8 hitter Henry Blanco with one out in the fifth inning. Dickey then squared around to bunt when he saw Sandoval crashing in from third base and Brandon Belt from first. Dickey pulled back and decided to swing away, knocking a grounder past the charging Sandoval and into the left-field corner for an RBI double. "I saw both Panda and Belt crashing," Dickey said. "It was slug bunt all the way. I had played it out in my mind that that was what I was going to do if I saw both those guys closing in on me." Dickey scored on a two-out single by Jose Bautista. Zitos second walk of the game led to more trouble after Edwin Encarnacion and Bautista pulled off a double steal when Sandoval couldnt get the tag down in time even though Poseys throw beat Bautista to third base. That set up DeRosas two-run single. "The fifth inning was the Achilles heel today," Zito said. "Being unable to minimize the damage, the slash hit was OK, but then I gave up a couple of two-out hits that hurt." Zito allowed seven hits and walked three in six innings while losing at home for the first time since Aug. 2, 2012, against the Mets. The Giants had won Zitos last 14 starts at home, including one in the World Series, and he entered the game with a 1.40 ERA this season at AT&T Park. NOTES: It was Dickeys first extra-base hit since doubling against Philadelphia on Sept. 24, 2010. ... Zito became the first Giants starter to pitch at least six innings and not strike out a batter since he did it May 12, 2007, at Colorado. ... San Francisco CF Angel Pagan missed his 10th straight game with a strained left hamstring but manager Bruce Bochy hopes he will be able to play Friday in Arizona. ... The Blue Jays finished 3-4 on their road trip that included stops in Atlanta and San Diego and return home to face Texas on Friday. Avalanche Jerseys 2020 . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Colorado Avalanche Pro Shop . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. https://www.cheapavalanche.com/ . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. Custom Colorado Avalanche Jerseys . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. Avalanche Jerseys 2021 . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. Essex 153 for 6 (Zaidi 47) beat Hampshire 150 for 7 (Vince 62) by three runsScorecard Ashar Zaidi starred with both the bat and the ball to boost Essexs hopes of a quarter-final place - as the visitors edged out Hampshire in a three run thriller.Pakistani Zaidi helped Essex to a healthy 153 for six with a patient 47 before miserly figures of two for 16 halted Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.Essex are also top of Division Two of the Championship, leading Zaidi to say: It is amazing feeling winning four on the bounce and we are taking the momentum into the four day cricket.Michael Carberry and James Vince, having been set 154 by Essex, took the chase steadily - knowing exactly what they needed and scored on and just above the required run rate.Carberry looked more ready to open himself up, but it was his undoing when he slogged to cow corner, before Tom Alsop was caught and bowl for a duck by Dan Lawrence.Spin slowed dried the runs up with Zaidi impressive, his first over going for just four and his second picking up Liam Dawson - who was driving to extra-cover.But as Zaidi stocked up on dot balls, boundaries flowed off Vinces bat, on the back of another Test call-up. Vince reached his 19th Blast fifty from 37 balls, but the ball after Sean Ervine teed up to Tom Westley giving Zaidi a deserved second wicket.Shahid Afridi spliced one back to Matthew Quinn and Vince finally departed as he was bowled by Graham Napier. But just as Hampshire looked set for a seventh defeat Lewis McManus provided a fightback with a four and massive maximum in the penultimate over to leave the hosts nneeding eight from six.ddddddddddddicket-keeper McManus was caught on the mid-wicket outfield from the second delivery, still seven needed but Ravi Bopara held his nerve - only going for two more runs.Earlier having won the toss, Essex set off at a blistering start reaching 67 by the end of the power play, with every other ball seemingly rushing to the boundary off Jessie Ryder, Kishen Velani and Westley. But for all their heaving they lost Velani in the third over - chipping up to Vince at mid-off.As easy as that catch was for captain Vince, his snaffle to see off Ryder, for 22, was unbelievable - as he gave international teammate Dawson his first of the night by diving full length once the ball had seemingly d