CINCINNATI (AP) The Mets lost for the 12th time in 15 games and Buck Showalter was ejected for the first time as New York's manager as Jonathan India drove in three runs in the Cincinnati Reds' 7-6 win on Tuesday night.

With New York trailing 4-1 in the fifth, Cincinnati's Kevin Newman hit the ball up the middle and a sliding Wil Myers, with his right arm extended in the direction of Francisco Lindor, was hit by the ball, preventing the shortstop from making a clean play. The 66-year-old Showalter, hired by the Mets before the 2022 season. was tossed by crew chief Mark Wegner.

“It's pretty obvious what it was," Showalter said. "But It’s hard to imagine four guys not being able to see what happened. There’s about three ways you could get that play right. We had opportunities for it to not matter. We just didn’t pitch very well early on.”

Bench coach Eric Chavez took over as manager.

Lindor thought the play should have been subject to video review.

“I can’t blame the umpires for getting that call wrong even though they got it wrong because the game is going very fast,” he said. "Get help from the cameras. Slow the game down and see if there's a way of making the right call.”

New York, which opened with a record $355 million payroll, trailed 7-1 in the sixth inning before clawing back. The Mets (17-19), who scratched starter Max Scherzer because of neck spasms, hit a season-high four home runs but lost for the sixth time in seven games.

Francisco Álvarez homered twice, doubling his career big league total, Pete Alonso hit his 12th of the season and Lindor also went deep. New York dropped two games under .500 for the first time under since ending the 2021 season at 77-85.

David Peterson (1-5) was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to make the start and allowed four runs, seven hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. The start would have been Scherzer’s second since a 10-game suspension by Major League Baseball for violating the prohibition on foreign substances during an April 19 game at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I wasn’t efficient with my pitches,” said Pederson, who needed 63 to get his first six outs.

Cincinnati (15-20) had lost five of its previous seven games entering the series,

Luke Weaver (1-2) gave up three runs and four hits in six-plus innings, his longest outing in four starts after opening the season on the injured list.

After Lindor's two-run homer into the second deck off Derek Law pulled the Mets within a run in the eighth, Lucas Sims walked Alonso, Starling Marte singled with two outs and Alexis Díaz loaded the bases with a walk to Daniel Volgebach. Díaz struck out pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme on a low slider, then struck out two in a perfect ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.

“I was a little wild right there," Díaz said. "I wanted to get that first batter out. I concentrated to make sure I got the next batter out. It is the same against every team. It doesn’t have anything to do with my brother (Edwin) being on the Mets or anything. I’m trying to get everybody out.”

India drove in single runs with a groundout, a double and a sacrifice fly. TJ Friedl added a two-run triple in a three-run fifth against Stephen Nogosek.

“Jonathan is just trying to put the ball in play," manager David Bell said. "He had a great night. Only one hit but the runs he drove in were big runs.”

BAT FINDER

Cincinnati’s Kevin Newman dropped his bat while ducking a high-and-inside pitch, but the ball caromed off of it for a foul ball.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: RHP Jimmy Yacabonis (2-1) was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left quadriceps strain.

Reds: LHP Reiver Sanmartin (1-0) was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, with a left elbow stress reaction. He is not expected to throw for at least four-to-six weeks, manager David Bell said.

UP NEXT

RHP Justin Verlander (0-1) makes his second start this season on Wednesday after recovering from a strained upper back muscle. He pitched five innings in a 2-0 loss at Detroit last Thursday, giving up back-to-back first-inning home runs to Riley Greene and Javier Baez. ... RHP Hunter Greene (0-2), fifth among qualified starting pitchers with a 98.9 mph four-seam fastball velocity, makes his seventh start for the Reds.

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