Break up the Mets.
After ending their longest losing streak in more than two decades, the Mets won their second straight game, beating Minnesota 10-8 at Citi Field on Thursday.
The victory came as they barely avoided another gruesome defeat — twice.
But after Huascar Brazobán gave up a crushing, game-tying grand slam in the top of the eighth, Bo Bichette delivered a three-run double in the bottom of the inning and the Mets hung on for the win.
Devin Williams struggled again after entering with one out in the ninth following bullpen confusion.
After Brazobán retired the first batter, Williams struck out Luke Keaschall, but then gave up a single to Brooks Lee, who took second on defensive indifference and scored on a Tristan Gray base hit.
Mets killer Byron Buxton then ripped a double to left to send Gray to third.
Williams somehow struck out Trevor Larnach to end it.
The near-blown save occurred after the Mets, leading by four runs in the eighth, turned to Craig Kimbrel. He loaded the bases with two outs before Brazobán replaced him and surrendered a grand slam to Ryan Jeffers.
The Mets recovered in the bottom of the inning.
It started with a Brett Baty leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt by Tyrone Taylor and a single from Marcus Semien.
Ronny Mauricio popped out to center and Tommy Pham — pinch hitting for Carson Benge — drew a walk before Bichette just missed a grand slam of his own, with the ball hitting near the top of the left-center field wall.
After some confusion in the top of the ninth, as Brazobán went to the mound as Devin Williams was entering from the bullpen, the two combined to pitch a scoreless inning.
With the win, the Mets overcame a wild start from Christian Scott in his first outing back from Tommy John surgery thanks to a six-run outburst in the first two innings from the Francisco Lindor-less lineup and a strong performance from Tobias Myers and David Peterson out of the bullpen.
As they try to put their 12-game skid behind them and deal with the indefinite loss of Lindor, the Mets managed to knock Joe Ryan around for seven runs, four earned in five innings.
The victory gave the Mets their first series win since they took three out of four from the Giants nearly three weeks ago. They have the Rockies and Nationals coming into Citi Field next.
Despite the win — which the Mets will take any way they come these days — the return of Scott was discouraging.
The 26-year-old right-hander had pitched well in his previous two starts with Triple-A Syracuse, but had no command Thursday.
He walked four batters — and forced in a run — in the first before he walked one more and hit another in the second prior to being yanked.
Prior to the game, Carlos Mendoza said the organization liked the way Scott, who last appeared in the majors July 21, 2024, was attacking the strike zone in the minors.
That was not the case Thursday, but it didn’t slow the Mets.
Bichette singled to open the bottom of the first. In the leadoff spot for a second straight game, Bichette had three hits.
Juan Soto followed with a walk before Baty hit a one-out, three-run shot into the second deck in right field for his first home run of the season.
Marcus Semien led off the bottom of the second with a double and Carson Benge delivered a shot to the gap in right-center that should have scored Semien easily, but Semien needlessly went back to second to tag up and only made it to third.
No matter, though, as Jeffers committed a passed ball on a swinging third strike to Bichette, which allowed Semien to score and Bichette to reach base.
After Bichette stole second, Soto walked to load the bases for Francisco Alvarez, who delivered a sacrifice fly.
A double to left by Luis Robert Jr. made it 6-1.
Mauricio’s fielding error at shortstop led to an unearned run in the fourth, but Benge answered with his first homer since Opening Day.
