Brewers’ McGehee slams Mets after gaffe

MILWAUKEE — Casey McGehee hit his first career grand slam moments after committing a costly gaffe and J.J. Hardy tied a career high with four hits, including a homer, to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 10-6 win over the reeling New York Mets on Monday night.

The Mets have lost four straight, falling under .500 (37-38) for the first time since May 5, and not even the previously unflappable Fernando Nieve (3-1) could help. He gave up 11 hits and three runs before being pulled.

McGehee made up for it giving the Mets life with starter Braden Looper (6-4) cruising and Milwaukee leading 3-0.

With two outs and a man on first in the sixth inning, the Brewers third baseman dropped Fernando Martinez’s routine pop up, putting runners on the corners.

Brian Schneider hit the next pitch off the wall for a two-run double to cut it to 3-2.

In the bottom of the inning, Hardy had his third extra base hit when Martinez, in center field, tried to make a diving catch on a liner to put men on second and third with one out.

After Ryan Braun popped out and Prince Fielder was intentionally walked, McGehee drove a high fastball from reliever Brian Stokes into the Brewers bullpen in left center field to make it 7-2.

McGehee, who has hit all five of his career homers in his last 13 games, returned to the dugout, covered his mouth and shouted into his helmet before tossing it aside. Then, he acknowledged a curtain call from the 39,872 fans at Miller Park who booed him coming off the field minutes before.

The Brewers tacked on three runs in the seventh and eighth innings to take a 10-3 lead, but the Mets forced the Brewers to use closer Trevor Hoffman with one out in the ninth after five straight hits.

Gary Sheffield, who had an RBI single in the seventh, hit a two-run homer in the ninth off reliever Carlos Villanueva to make it 10-6 moments after David Wright’s RBI double, and Villanueva allowed consecutive singles to Ryan Church and Martinez before being pulled for Hoffman.

The all-time saves leader forced Schneider to hit into a double play on his first pitch for his 18th save in 19 tries.

Nieve, who had allowed 10 hits and three runs over his first 18 2-3 innings as a starter, was trying to become the third Mets pitcher in history to win his first four starts.

But he failed to get four consecutive outs or make it through the fourth inning.

Milwaukee, the NL Central leaders who’ve won three of the last four, went up 3-0 on Jason Kendall’s run-scoring single in the first, Hardy’s solo homer in the third and Looper’s run-scoring single in the fourth.

Hardy singled for the 11th hit off Nieve to chase him with one out, while Looper allowed seven hits and two walks in 6 1-3 innings.

NOTES: Hardy, who hit .207 through June 15, is batting .348 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last 13 games. … Mets CF Carlos Beltran (right knee) was in Vail, Colo. getting a second opinion on his bone bruise from noted knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman and will be re-evaluated later this week. … Mets LHP Oliver Perez (right knee) will make his final rehab start at Triple-A Buffalo on Friday. … … Mets RF Ryan Church (ill) returned to the lineup and went 4-for-5.