The good news for R.A. Dickey: Having now logged 139 1/3 innings with the Mets this season, he again is qualified for the National League ERA leaderboard.

The bad news: After giving up three-run homers to Alfonso Soriano and Blake DeWitt and suffering the loss in the Mets' 7-6 defeat against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Dickey's ERA shot up from 2.57 to 2.91.

"Two two-out, three-run home runs will beat you every time," said Dickey, who was charged with seven runs and eight hits while striking out three and walking one in six innings. "You kind of have to stand up and own that. I have to be held accountable to that because any time we score six runs, we need to win the ballgame. Today was a day where it could have happened differently, and I kind of let us down with a couple of mistakes late in the game."

The seven runs allowed by Dickey were a season high, topping the six (four earned) he surrendered in three innings at Philadelphia on Aug. 8.

Dickey forgave himself more for Soriano's shot in the fourth, which gave Chicago a 4-3 lead, than for DeWitt's homer two innings later that made it 7-4.

"The one to Soriano I can stomach a little bit more because it kind of broke right down into his bat path," Dickey said. "Sometimes that's going to happen. The one to DeWitt was just poor execution, poor mechanics. I felt when I released it that it was going to be high. I was kind of hoping that he would swing under it or take it for a ball. And he swung and he 'covered' it. It was a mistake and it cost us."

DeWitt benefited from the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field, but manager Jerry Manuel noted the Mets had those same outward gusts when they batted.

"This is a ballpark that with the wind blowing out, if you hit the ball up, you can hit the ball out of the park," Manuel said. "You know that going in. Both teams have that opportunity. They got them at the right time with a few men on base."

K’O PEC? Johan Santana said he would refrain from making further pronouncements about his strained pectoral muscle until he has a chance to work out at Wrigley Field the next day or two. The Mets do list Santana as Tuesday’s start at Washington. Santana left Thursday’s game in Atlanta after five innings.

"Make it simple: We’re waiting," Santana said. "They said a couple of days -- means a couple of days. We'll see how it is tomorrow. … Esta bien?"

Manuel said he had not entertained a replacement yet if Santana cannot go. Dillon Gee, who has made his final start for Triple-A Buffalo this season, merits a call-up, is on the proper rest and would seem the logical choice.

When asked about Pat Misch, who was just bumped from the rotation for Jenrry Mejia, Manuel said: "I don't know. I haven't even thought about it that far."

WRIST SHOT: Angel Pagan went 3-for-5 with two runs scored against his former club in his return to the lineup after missing three starts with right wrist tendinitis. Pagan had the right wrist heavily wrapped after the game, but described himself as good enough to contribute.

"It's not 100 percent, but it's good enough to go out there and battle with the team," Pagan said. "That's why I took those days off, so I can get a little bit better and go out there and give the 100 percent I have. Hopefully it stays this way and it doesn't get worse. Obviously, you never know what is going to happen in the future. I'm keep getting my treatments, come in here early so I can prepare myself. If it's like this I can go out there every day."

DUDE: After an 0-for-10 start to his major league career, Lucas Duda delivered a game-tying sixth-inning double to the right-field corner that scored Pagan and chased Cubs starter Randy Wells.

"That was a pretty good feeling," Duda said. "I’m just glad that it tied the game more than getting the first hit. That was more important, getting that run in. It took me long enough. It took me three games."

In the eighth, Duda also made a solid fielding play. He caught Geovany Soto’s line drive, then doubled off ex-Met Xavier Nady, who had strayed too far from first base. Not too shabby for a rookie who had spent the bulk of his career at first base before moving to let field.

"It was a great stretch by Ike [Davis]," Duda said. "It was all about him on that play. That was a great, great play by him. Other than that, whatever it takes to get the job done I’ll try to do it out there."

Duda suggested it's not quite instinctive for him yet in the outfield.

"I still have to think about them," Duda said. "I’m getting kind of better out there."

Said Manuel: "I’m a little bit more impressed with him as an outfielder than I thought coming in. I thought he would have some struggles there. He seems to move pretty good for a big guy. He moves real well. I heard 'average.' And I guess that's accurate. But when you hear 'minor league average,' I guess you kind of think slightly below at the major league level. I see slightly average major league -- so far. And this is early. And with a decent arm, with a 'playable' arm. A very, very 'playable' arm in left field.”

ARM EMBARGO: Since Jeff Francoeur's departure, teams have been running wild on the Mets on balls to right field. And Manuel doesn’t mask the fact that Chris Carter really doesn't have the arm for the position.

Nady's single to right field in the third inning comfortably scores Starlin Castro from second base.

"Carter always worries me in right, in the outfield," Manuel said. "But Carter is a good hitter. He gives you everything he's got. He hasn't really hurt us yet in those situations. Everything he gets to, he gives us 110 percent."

ODDS & ENDS: Manuel confirmed he intends to use a Mike Nickeas-Mejia battery Saturday. Nickeas, who will be making his major league debut, caught Mejia in two levels of the minors this season. … Six players who saw action for the Buffalo Bisons were in Friday’s starting lineup. … David Wright went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. He benefited from poor left field play by Soriano on a two-run double in the first inning that struck the ivy-covered wall. … Omar Minaya joined the Mets in Chicago, after assistant GM John Ricco had the Atlanta leg of the trip. Minaya flew JetBlue and watched "Lonestar."