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 Thursday’s 12-4 loss to the New York 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 81/2 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 Sept. 29, 2005.

Chris Capuano (5-8) gave up 10 hits and five runs in six innings and lost his eighth straight decision. He started the season 5-0, but hasn’t recorded a victory since May 5.

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.

Houston’s Lance Berkman hit the previous inside-the-park home run at Miller Park on June 17, 2002, the Elias Sports Bureau said. Fernando Vina hit the other inside-the-park at the stadium in 2001, the year it opened.

Easley came into Thursday’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 Thursday morning after the team moved Sosa to the bullpen.

As if giving up an inside-the-park homer wasn’t bad enough, Capuano also ran into home plate umpire Bill Miller while running to back up first base later in the sixth inning.

The Mets loaded the bases against reliever Carlos Villanueva in the seventh and Lastings Milledge’s ground ball glanced off Hardy’s glove for an error and two runs scored. Sosa then hit a ground-rule double to put the Mets ahead 8-3.

Reyes hit a two-run homer in the ninth and Marlon Anderson had a two-run double.

David Wright hit his 19th home run in the fifth on his way to the eighth four-hit game of his career.

Notes: Hart had his third multihomer game and second this season. … Luis Castillo’s family hasn’t yet made the move from Minneapolis, so the Mets new second baseman initially was concerned when he heard about the bridge collapse on Wednesday evening. His family was fine, but the former Twins player was left shaking his head about the tragedy. “It’s unbelievable,” Castillo said. … The Mets designated catcher Mike DiFelice for assignment on Thursday.

AP-ES-08-02-07 1809EDT