Shaun Marcum pitched seven strong innings and Prince Fielder drove in two runs as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers easily dispatched the New York Mets 6-1 on Friday.

Casey McGehee added two RBIs and Yuniesky Betancourt doubled in a run for the Brewers, who extended their lead in the National League Central to 7 ½ games over the St. Louis Cardinals.

After waiting through lightning and hail storms for two hours and 46 minutes, Milwaukee wasted no time getting on the board as Fielder drove in a run in the first. The Brewers pushed across three more runs off Mike Pelfrey (6-10) in the fifth.

That was plenty for Marcum (11-3), who yielded one run and six hits while striking out three. The veteran righthander has not lost since June 29.

The Mets broke up the shutout in the seventh, pushing a run across on Josh Thole’s RBI single.

The game was not without controversy, as Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun was ejected in the top of the third inning for arguing balls and strikes, and the benches briefly cleared in the eighth when Fielder and Mets reliever Tim Byrdak shared some words following a groundout.