MILWAUKEE — Already fighting to stay in first place, the Milwaukee Brewers are now scuffling among themselves.

Catcher Johnny Estrada and manager Ned Yost nearly tangled in a dugout tunnel late in yesterday’s 12–4 loss to the Mets, the Brewers’ 10th defeat in 14 games.

Damion Easley hit the first inside-the-park homer at Miller Park in five years, breaking a sixth-inning tie. The Mets scored three more times in the seventh, helped by shortstop J.J. Hardy’s error and an RBI double from reliever Jorge Sosa.

When the half-inning ended, Estrada and Yost got into a heated dispute in the tunnel leading from the dugout to the clubhouse. Infielder Tony Graffanino stepped between them while pitcher Ben Sheets and pitching coach Mike Maddux stood in front of Estrada.

The next inning, Yost motioned with his finger for Estrada to come talk with him, and they disappeared out of sight down the tunnel.

Corey Hart homered twice for Milwaukee, which lost two of three in the series. The Brewers led the NL Central by 8 1/2 games on June 21, but their defeat Wednesday night dropping them out of first place for the first time since April 21.

Before this game, Yost said it was too early to start worrying about the division race, a point he’ll likely be driving home to his young team in coming weeks.

“I wish we could just erase our minds at the start of every game and just focus on this game and not worrying about being in first of being in second,” Yost said prior to the first pitch.

Brian Lawrence (1–0) gave up three runs and eight hits in five innings for the victory — his first major league win since September 29, 2005.

Chris Capuano (5–8) gave up 10 hits and five runs in six innings and lost his eighth straight decision.

The game was tied at 3 when Moises Alou led off the Mets sixth with a double. Easley followed with a shot to deep right-center and ball hit the angled fence on a fly. The carom eluded center fielder Bill Hall and Easley scored easily ahead of the relay.

Easley hit his second career inside-the-parker, the other coming for Detroit in 2001 against Anaheim. It was the Mets’ 24th such homer, the last by Jose Reyes last September at Shea Stadium.

Easley came into yesterday’s game with a career .311 average against the Brewers. Yost said Wednesday that the Brewers always pay extra attention to Easley because he “just hammers us.”

Lawrence, who last pitched in the major leagues with the San Diego Padres, missed the entire 2006 season after having surgery to repair a tear in his right shoulder. He was called up from Triple-A New Orleans and added to the roster on yesterday morning.