Dickey gives up back-to-back homers in seventh as Mets lose to Braves

With Cliff Lee's trade to the Rangers on Friday, the Mets lost an opportunity to shift the balance of power in the National League East. A few hours later, the Braves showed them exactly who owns the big stick in the division, and they used it against R.A. Dickey.

With the score tied at 2 in the seventh inning, Dickey allowed back-to-back homers to the unlikely duo of Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante. As a result, the Mets' 4-2 loss wiped out any remaining chance for them to grab a share of the division lead by the All-Star break.

It also opened a trap door to perhaps fall further off the pace now that the Mets have dropped three of four during this final first-half homestand.

Cabrera entered Friday with two homers in 257 at-bats, but he crushed a first-pitch knuckleball off the facade of the rightfield upper deck. "A no-doubter," as Dickey described it.

Infante, a controversial pick to the All-Star team, had one previous homer in 179 at-bats this year, but he airmailed a knuckler into the first row of seats above the leftfield wall. It was his fourth consecutive hit of the night off Dickey.

"He's an All-Star," Jeff Francoeur said, smiling, "so there you go."

Dickey is 0-2 with a no-decision after opening 6-0 as a starter. Entering Friday, Dickey had allowed only two homers in 581/3 innings, and the homer- per-nine-innings ratio of 0.31 was fifth best in the majors.

"It was tough," Dickey said. "It felt like I got punched in the stomach because I thought I gave us a chance to win."

Former Met Billy Wagner was booed loudly by the crowd of 36,356 upon his introduction for the ninth. He made sure no cheers followed, either, finishing a perfect inning for his 20th save.

In their previous 14 games, the Mets were hitting .318 (35-for-110) with runners in scoring position, the second-best mark in the majors during that span. But they were just 1-for-10 Friday, and the lone hit came from Jose Reyes.

Batting righthanded in the fifth inning against Braves righthander Tommy Hanson, Reyes ripped a line-drive double over the head of leftfielder Eric Hinske, who badly misplayed the ball. But that was it, except for David Wright's sacrifice fly in the third inning.

"We're just not clicking offensively," Jerry Manuel said.

Ike Davis led off the sixth with a high pop into shallow leftfield that Yunel Escobar appeared to track before abruptly veering away as the ball dropped to the grass. Davis made it to second for a gift-wrapped double, and after a walk to Jason Bay, Manuel had Josh Thole bunt. But he bunted the ball right to a charging Infante, and it turned into an easy forceout at third.

"It's frustrating because I thought that was going to lead to a big inning," Thole said.

After Francoeur grounded out, moving up both runners, Manuel sent up Jesus Feliciano to face Hanson. But when Bobby Cox switched to lefthander Eric O'Flaherty, Manuel stuck with Feliciano rather than going to Nick Evans, who was called up Friday presumably for that specific purpose. Feliciano grounded out to kill the threat.