But then it all unraveled for the lefty in the fifth inning.

A four-run fifth did the Mets and Lucchesi in for the night, leading to a 10-5 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. It was the third straight loss to their NL East foes for the Mets, who have now lost five of their last six games.

To be fair, there was plenty of blame to go around. The Mets made costly defensive mistakes with two errors and even more mental mistakes. The bullpen was a sieve, with right-hander Grant Hartwig giving up two runs (one earned) in relief of Lucchesi and right-hander Adrian Houser tagged for three (one earned).

“We’ve got work to do,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “That’s the message to the players.”

Mendoza put the onus on the coaching staff to help the team get past this dismal stretch of play. The manager didn’t make excuses or deflect criticism, only promising that the team would put in the work to play better baseball.

“We’re going through a rough patch right now,” Mendoza said. “We didn’t play a good game today or a clean game. It’s going to happen at times. But understanding that us as a coaching staff, our job is to continue to work with these guys and help them get through it.

“And we will.”

Lucchesi (0-1) was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday to make a start in place of Houser. Forced to empty their bullpen in Tuesday’s loss to the Phillies at Citi Field, Houser warmed up as the last pitcher standing and was unable to make his Wednesday start. Lucchesi was set to start against Triple-A Iowa, instead he found himself driving from Syracuse to Philadelphia with third baseman Mark Vientos on Tuesday night.

It was a tough challenge, but one many other pitchers have managed to overcome. Lucchesi took full responsibility for the damage, which amounted to five earned runs on five hits, four walks and two strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

“No one likes excuses so I’m not going to make any,” Lucchesi said. “I felt really good today, I felt on and pretty sharp, except for that last inning. But yeah, of course it’s hard and tough to get here in one night or whatever. But I’m a warrior. So I felt good, man. I don’t know.”

Lucchesi gave up a home run to Bryce Harper in the first before settling in through the next few innings. But in the fifth, he lost the strike zone completely and walked the first two hitters. No. 9 hitter Johan Rojas dropped a bunt to the left of the mound and instead of making a play at first base, Lucchesi turned and threw to third base where Edmundo Sosa was already safe.

It was reminiscent of a play Lucchesi tried to make last season in Miami. Lucchesi turned to throw to third and collided with Brett Baty in the process. Failing to realize the third baseman was right in front of him, he threw to an empty base.

“The bunt happened and then bases were loaded,” Lucchesi said. “I tried to miss more on the inner third [part of the plate], and then they were just putting good bat-to-ball on it and things kind of just got away from me.”

The rest of his inning went as follows: A bases-loaded walk to Kyle Schwarber, an RBI single to J.T. Realmuto and a two-run double to Harper. The Mets got Realmuto at the plate for the first out, ending Lucchesi’s night.

“I think they made some adjustments because early in the game it felt like they were swinging at balls just outside of the strike zone,” Mendoza said. “In that inning, they came in with a plan and they were just forcing him [to throw the ball] in the zone and he lost it there.”

The Mets (19-23) scored two runs off left-handed starter Ranger Suarez, who went five innings in the win (8-0). Right-hander Spencer Turnbull pitched three innings for Philadelphia (31-13), giving up three in the eighth. J.D. Martinez hit his second homer of the season to lead off and Vientos (2-for-4 with an RBI double) followed with a single up the center.

With two outs, Jeff McNeil hit a deep fly to right-center field and Johan Rojas dove for it, with the ball falling right next to him for an RBI double. Tomas Nido sent him home on a single.

But the offensive output was too little, too late.

“We’re just not clicking right now,” Mendoza said. “The free basis or extra bases, when you’re playing good teams, you know, they’re going to make you pay for them. This is something that we will continue to address and we’ve got to get better.”

More moves will be made soon with right-handed starter Tylor Megill set to return to the rotation Sunday or Monday. Megill is in Philadelphia with the Mets, but has not yet been activated.

“We still have to finalize whether it’s going to be Sunday or Monday,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. “But that will be the plan, Megill will take a turn on the rotation.”

Megill has been out since the first series of the season with a right shoulder strain. He’s made five rehab starts and is ready to be activated from the 15-day injured list, but having just made a start with Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday, he wasn’t available to make one Wednesday.

The Mets scratched Houser after he warmed up in the bullpen Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies at home. Sean Reid-Foley was approaching his pitch count in the ninth inning of a loss and the Mets had no other arms available. Houser threw two innings out of the bullpen Wednesday, giving up three runs (one earned).

The Mets started a three-city eight-game road trip Wednesday in Philadelphia. They’ll continue with a three-game series against the Marlins in Miami this weekend before finishing the trip with three against the Cleveland Guardians.

Right-handed reliever Drew Smith suffered a setback Tuesday after playing catch. He was set to return Wednesday but complained of pain in the back of his shoulder shortly before Tuesday’s game. However, the Mets don’t think it will be a serious setback. The shoulder injury that landed him on the IL was in the front of his shoulder, so it may not be related.

Smith will resume playing catch Thursday. No imaging is currently scheduled.

“We don’t anticipate this being a long setback,” Mendoza said. “We’ll see where we are because after he pitched (in a rehab assignment) he said that he was feeling fine, but yesterday after he went out there and played catch, he said something about the back of his shoulder.”

Left-hander Brooks Raley underwent another MRI and got another opinion on his injured elbow Tuesday in Texas. The results showed a UCL strain. However, the imaging showed signs of healing, so he may be able to avoid surgery.

The Mets will continue to treat the injury for two weeks. At that point, Raley will be reassessed again and the doctors will determine whether or not he can begin a throwing program. The lefty previously had a cortisone shot to help with inflammation, but there are no plans for another injection at the moment.

Vientos is riding the waves of the season, good and bad. His hopes were up before it even began, only for the Mets to sign J.D. Martinez, which bumped him to Triple-A Syracuse. When Starling Marte went to the Dominican Republic for a family emergency in April, Vientos was called up and played the hero role with his first walk-off home run against the St. Louis Cardinals.

But when Marte returned, Vientos returned to Syracuse.

He was recalled by the Mets again Wednesday and was in the lineup playing third base against the Philadelphia Phillies. There was no hiding his excitement, but he was much more measured this time than during big league stints in the past.

“The way you view things is big,” Vientos said Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. “For me it’s just another baseball season — another baseball season with its ups and downs. I’m taking it day by day and I’m here now, so I’m happy with that and happy to be with the squad.”

Vientos is expected to platoon with Brett Baty at third base, though manager Carlos Mendoza is hesitant to call it a straight platoon. Baty will become the Mets’ new utility infielder, at least in the interim, and will get more at-bats against right-handed hitters. Vientos will see more at-bats against left-handed hitters.

“We’re facing a lefty today and potentially few more in the next series against the Marlins, so it was a good opportunity for him to get some playing time here,” Mendoza said. “That’s the decision we made yesterday, but Brett will continue to play as well. It’s a combination of matchups and putting guys in a position to have success.”

The Mets hope Vientos can help with an anemic offense. The offense ranks toward the lower third in the league in runs per game (4.20) and OPS (.672). He’s hit .285 with a .876 OPS and six home runs in 31 games with Syracuse.

But getting another bat to work with came at the cost of Joey Wendle. The Mets have gone from two utility infielders to none, designating Zack Scott for assignment last month and Wendle on Wednesday.

Wendle was signed to a Major League contract in December to replace Luis Guillorme, and while he provided solid veteran leadership, the Mets needed him to defend. His -2 OAA wasn’t good enough and he became the victim of a roster crunch.

However, the Mets acknowledged that the sample size was small.

“It was a tough one,” Mendoza said. “Not an easy one because of who he is as a player and as a person, such a professional. Obviously, things didn’t go the way we were expecting or the way he was expecting. He didn’t get many opportunities, but he understood that it’s a business and where we are in trying to change things up here. And we needed a righty bat.”

Wendle hit .222 with a .493 OPS in only 18 games for the Mets (37 plate appearances).

Baty will work with Mike Sarbaugh to take grounders all over the infield over the next week or so, but the Mets only plan to use him to back up Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil in an emergency.

“The angles are different, especially if he’s got to go to second base to turn a double play or something that he’s never done,” Mendoza said. “But this is where we are right now and we want to roll with it.”

That leads one to believe Vientos might not be up in the Major Leagues for very long. While Francisco Lindor would play all 162 games if you let him, injuries and illnesses happen. The slumping McNeil was already benched earlier this week. At some point, the Mets will need another utility infielder.

But this is where the Mets are now and they’ll work with what they have.

“I don’t look into the future,” Vientos said. “I’m just staying with the daily things that I’ve got to do right now. I’m going to go do batting practice and I have a game at 6:40. I’m just worried about things that are about to happen, I don’t look into the future.”

Adrian Houser was slated to pitch Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, but then the Mets were forced to empty their bullpen in a 4-0 home loss Tuesday afternoon. The right-hander, who has made one appearance out of the bullpen since losing his spot in the rotation earlier this month, had to warm up when Sean Reid-Foley gave up four straight hits to the Phillies in the ninth.

As a result, the Mets have to scratch him from his start Wednesday. The Mets are expected to call up left-hander Joey Lucchesi from Triple-A Syracuse, who is 2-1 with a 2.58 ERA in seven starts this season.

“He got hot,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “That’s where we’re at. We were already pushing Reid-Foley refolding today, and with pretty heavy usage the past few days with him we were trying to stay away. But by then we had used a lot of guys and Houser was the last guy. I wasn’t going to push Reid-Foley more than 35 pitches. The fact that [Houser] got hot means he won’t be able to start.”

The Mets don’t have a starter for Wednesday. They plan to discuss pitching plans when they get to Philadelphia Tuesday night. They tried to stay away from him, but when Reid-Foley’s pitch count neared 20, the Mets felt it best to get Houser ready.

“Today before the game, we knew we were very thin going into it,” Mendoza said. “So we talked to [Houser] and he was available. He was open. He was like, ‘I’ll be ready to go.'”

Mendoza didn’t rule out the possibility of a bullpen game, though that could further tax and already beleaguered ‘pen. After five tough games against the Atlanta Braves and Phillies, the bullpen isn’t in great shape. Reid-Foley and right-hander Jorge Lopez have each pitched back-to-back games. The Mets only use pitchers up to two days in a row, but they may have to break that rule to cover nine innings.

Getting a pitcher from Triple-A Syracuse would require a roster move, which would be fine if the Mets didn’t already have to make one Wednesday to activate Drew Smith from the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Reed Garrett is the only reliever with minor league options and since he’s been one of the best relievers for the Mets this season, it’s unlikely they will demote him. Garrett also hasn’t pitched since Sunday, so he should be able to provide the Mets with some much-needed length.

Right-hander Yohan Ramirez is the likely candidate to get designated for assignment. The Mets already lost him on waivers once this season and were able to reclaim him, but someone has to go with Smith returning and the Mets needing a fresh arm.

But if the Mets decide they need a starter from Syracuse, Reid-Foley might get designated, as the right-hander has pitched on back-to-back days and therefore won’t be available for a few more. Reid-Foley has been excellent for the Mets so far this season. He made 10 appearances before giving up an earned run, finally surrendering two to the Phillies on Tuesday.

The other option would be designating Houser, who is 0-3 with a 7.63 ERA.

Of course, the Mets could always have left-hander Jose Quintana pitch on regular rest. Adding Houser back to the rotation was an attempt to give the starters an extra day before their next outings. Right-hander Tylor Megill just made a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Syracuse, so he’s unavailable.

The Mets might have to scrap their six-man rotation plan this time through the rotation.

Butto issued five free passes over five innings, with a 41-pitch third inning costing him two runs in the Mets’ 4-0 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field. Meanwhile, Phillies ace Aaron Nola pitched a complete game shutout using 109 pitches.

“He had command of his pitches,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Nola. “He was in complete control [using] the two-seam, the cutter, but the pitch that got us today was the knuckle curve. He was using it for strikes, to chase, to get back in counts and to put hitters away.”

The two runs allowed by Butto (1-3) came on only one hit. He walked four hitters, hit one and struck out four over five innings. A single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs in the third, but control eluded Butto as he struggled to get that third out. Butto hit Alec Bohm to bring in a run and walked Brandon Marsh to bring in another.

“I was fighting myself,” Butto said. “I limited the damage and gave them just one hit, but we lost against them.”

Butto then settled down and retired the next seven straight, but at 97 pitches through five innings, he was unable to give the Mets the length the bullpen needed. The Mets were forced to empty their bullpen and even had to burn Wednesday starter Adrian Houser. The right-hander warmed up in the ninth inning when Sean Reid-Foley gave up three hits and the first two earned runs of his season.

“It feels like every outing there’s one inning when he loses it,” Mendoza said. “Then he finds a way. He kept us in the game even without his best stuff and gave us five.”

It didn’t get much easier for any other pitcher from there. Right-hander Yohan Ramirez pitched the fifth and put the first two runners on with singles. A wild pitch advanced them to second and third before he retired the next three in order. Left-hander Jake Diekman came out for the seventh and got the first out, but walked the next two. He picked off Kyle Schwarber at second base but then walked Bryson Stott.

The Mets (19-22) went to Jorge Lopez for the second day in a row and the 21st time this season to get the third out. Lopez’s 21 appearances is tied for the third-most in the league.

Diekman came off the field and angrily tossed his glove at the dugout wall, echoing the frustration of the rest of the team.

The Mets are seemingly at a loss as to why their pitchers are walking so many hitters.

“It’s a good question,” Mendoza said. “I know [pitching coach Jeremy Hefner] is working really hard and a lot of our group is working. It’s just one of those things. Since Day One, we’ve been addressing the pitching — stay on the attack, get strike one get two strikes. We’ve never been able to do that.

“We’ve got to keep working.”

Nola (5-2) took a perfect game into the sixth inning. He needed only three pitches to get out of the seventh inning. Starling Marte singled on the first pitch, Francisco Lindor lined one right to Kody Clemens at second base on the next pitch, and Pete Alonso grounded into a double play on the last one.

Alonso and Lindor crushed those pitches but couldn’t find any holes.

“I got every pitch I wanted today and I was able to get the barrel to it,” Lindor said. “Some of them I squared up and some of them, I just just missed them… That’s what good pitchers do, they throw pitches that look like they’re hittable, and then all of the sudden they move at the end.”

Pitching for the second day in a row, Reid-Foley got the first out before facing the top of the order. He gave up three straight singles and a double before getting the final two outs, giving the Phillies (30-13) a 4-0 lead that Nola effectively protected.

The Mets put runners on the corners in the bottom of the ninth but Lindor popped up Nola’s 109th pitch for the final out. He allowed four hits and struck out eight, issuing not a single walk in his sixth career complete game and fourth career shutout.

The series shifts to Citizens Bank Park for the next two games, with the Mets embarking on an eight-game road trip through Philadelphia, Miami and Cleveland. They’ve lost four of their last five games, all against NL East opponents.

“It’s no fun, for sure,” Lindor said. “But it’s part of the daily grind. You understand that you’re going to have ups and downs and you try to limit the downs. Right now, it seems like we’re in a month where the uphill fight is even harder, but you’ve just got to do it.”

Diaz came out for the save in the ninth inning on Monday night with the Mets leading the Philadelphia Phillies by two. By the time he exited, the game was tied. The Mets ultimately lost 5-4 in the 10th inning when automatic runner Bryce Harper scored on a sacrifice fly. Right-hander Sean Reid-Foley was charged with loss (1-1).

“Today was not a good day for me,” Diaz said. “I let the team down. Reid-Foley got the loss but it’s on me because I gave up a two-run lead. I blew it. I think I just have to keep working and when they give me the ball, I do my job.”

Up 4-2 in the ninth, Diaz gave up a leadoff homer to Bryson Stott. Kody Clemens, the son of former Yankees ace Roger Clemens, pinch-hit a single to center. Diaz then walked Brandon Marsh to put two on with none out. The right-hander got two outs before walking Whit Merrifield to load the bases.

The left fielder checked his swing on strike three, but home plate umpire Gabe Morales awarded Merrifield the base, drawing the ire of manager Carlos Mendoza, who yelled at the officiating crew from the dugout.

“From the dugout, I thought he swung,” Mendoza said. “But at the end of the day, you can’t walk him. He got behind 3-1 and a check swing could go either way.”

Diaz then hit Alec Bohm with a pitch to bring in a run and tie the game at 3-3. The Mets challenged the call but lost. Bryce Harper struck out to end the inning. Orion Kerkering retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

All things considered, Diaz has looked mostly like his old self this season. Still, two blown saves in less than two weeks seems uncharacteristic for one of the game’s best stoppers. Diaz has given up four home runs already this season after allowing only three in all of 2022 (62 innings). Stott connected on a fastball that was about four inches off the plate, which shows issues with command.

While his velocity was in the high 90s Monday, it has dipped a few times this season. However, the problem, according to Mendoza, is pitch sequencing.

“He goes through stretches where you see him get happy with one pitch and then gets away from the other one,” Mendoza said. “The Bohm one, three fastballs and he ended up hitting him. We’ll continue to work with him and get him back to where he needs to be.”

Though he trusts catcher Tomas Nido, he shook him off a few times Monday, something he realized he shouldn’t do.

“I don’t like to shake a lot and I did it today,” Diaz said. “I paid the price for it. I just like to follow them when they call for me to throw because they’ve been there nine innings. I’ve got to follow them.”

Left-hander Sean Manaea turned in a solid performance with six innings of one-run baseball, giving the Mets as good of a chance as any to win.

Manaea pitched six innings, scattering four hits, walking one and striking out six. He went heavy on the sinker and sweeper and threw his changeup to left-handed hitters.

“He got behind at times but he continued to attack hitters and gave us six solid innings,” Mendoza said. “I thought he was good.”

The one run allowed came in the second inning. Stott led off the inning with a single and went to third on Edmundo Sosa’s double. Manaea got two quick outs before Garrett Stubbs legged out a single on a drag bunt. Stott scored to put the Phillies up 1-0.

The Mets came back in the bottom of the inning and scored twice. Manaea didn’t allow another hit. He retired the side in order in the third, allowed a walk and a stolen base by Brandon Marsh in the fourth and then retired the next six straight. He walked off the field punching his glove with satisfaction after throwing his 100th pitch.

Left-hander Christopher Sanchez gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings for the Phillies. Pete Alonso doubled to lead off the bottom of the second and was sent home by a double from J.D. Martinez. With two outs, Nido sent a single up the middle to score Martinez and give the Mets a 2-1 lead.

Sanchez walked in a run in the third to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Jose Alvarado earned the save for the Phillies (29-13), who currently sit atop the NL East standings. The loss dropped the Mets (19-21) to fourth place, behind Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington.

“I thought the boys fought really hard,” Manaea said. “A couple of things didn’t didn’t happen, but we’ve just got to get back out there tomorrow.”

It was a short-lived tenure for the Mets to use their right-handed starter in relief, but after throwing two innings against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, the Mets decided he’s ready to resume his role as a starter.

“It’s where we’re at on the schedule,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday before the Mets opened a series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. “He’s still built up and we’re trying to find an extra day of rest for some of the guys. He’s ready to go.”

Having only made one relief appearance, Houser is still stretched out enough to start. The struggling righty was able to keep the ball on the ground in his last appearance, though he did walk two hitters in only two innings.

Houser will start Wednesday against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Tylor Megill (right shoulder strain) could be added to the rotation the next time around if the Mets activate him off the 15-day injured list, but since he made a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Syracuse he won’t be ready by Wednesday.

Megill’s return could bump Houser to the bullpen once again. The Mets are already using a six-man rotation with the addition of Houser and there is room in the bullpen with left-hander Brooks Raley out long-term. However, right-handed reliever Drew Smith will be activated from the 15-day injured list Tuesday, so the ‘pen is getting crowded. The Mets have to figure out how to handle a roster crunch.

The organization doesn’t see Megill as a reliever. Plus, he stretched out to start in the minors during his rehab assignment. He’s made four rehab starts already and the team is debating a fifth.

“Everything is on the table here,” Mendoza said. “Some of the discussions are whether he goes back out and throws another rehab outing, or we just put him here on our roster.”

The Mets could sort this out a few ways. They could designate right-hander Yohan Ramirez for assignment again to add Smith to the roster. They could option right-hander Jose Butto after his start Tuesday, which would mean giving Megill his rotation spot. Unless there’s an injury, Butto would not be eligible to be recalled for another 15 days after being optioned.

Or, they could wait until after Wednesday and see what Houser is capable of giving them. Megill, left-hander David Peterson and Kodai Senga are all working toward returns, with Peterson and Senga possibly returning in June. If Houser (0-3, 7.63 ERA in 30 2/3 innings) can’t throw strikes, they may find it best to cut ties with the 31-year-old.

However, playing time tends to work itself out. The Mets may find some room on the roster or another player could end up on the IL, effectively opening up a roster spot. The puzzle always comes together eventually.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Triple-A right-hander Shintaro Fujinami was recalled from Syracuse and placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. … Triple-A left-hander and highly-ranked prospect Nate Lavender is getting another opinion on his injured elbow this week. Mets officials are hoping he can avoid Tommy John surgery.

The right-handed ace has taken a step back in rehab for a posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder and is no longer facing hitters. After a few days of curious comments by manager Carlos Mendoza about why he isn’t facing hitters after doing so already, Senga spoke Monday at Citi Field, saying he’s focusing on his mechanics at the moment in part to prevent further injury and also to be able to pitch at his highest level when he’s finally able to start the season.

“With my current mechanics, I didn’t think I’d be able to come back at 100%,” Senga said Monday through translator Hiro Fujiwara. “Taking a little bit of time to look over everything and make sure everything is perfect before getting back into games is the right move.”

Senga is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list May 27, but he’ll need to face hitters in both controlled and live game atmospheres. He threw 45 pitches off the mound Sunday and is aiming to throw another bullpen Wednesday. He will then be able to determine whether or not he can resume throwing to hitters.

Senga has thrown live BP twice to hitters from the Brooklyn Cyclones but didn’t like how the ball was coming out of his hand during that first live session. After the second one, he decided to take a step back.

“After the first live, I felt some differences,” Senga said through Fujiwara. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to be something big or not. And then after the second one, I still felt different mechanically. That’s when I thought I should take a little bit of time to re-look at this because I don’t want to come back this season and say, ‘Oh, I need a couple more days in season when I’m not on the IL.’ I just wanted to really figure it out beforehand.”

Senga is figuring it out in the bullpen and through dry sessions where he throws without the ball to repeat his delivery. The injury, which occurred during early spring training, affected his ability to control the baseball. Coming back without precise control and command wouldn’t be good for his health or the Mets.

“It’s very technical, but to simplify, all my power output was not going towards the catcher,” Senga said through Fujiwara. “I wasn’t able to deliver 100% of it towards the catcher, which is very important. When that is happening, I’m more susceptible to getting hit and also more susceptible to injuries.”

The rehab processes differ drastically in Japan. The 31-year-old is used to calling more of the shots after an injury, with Nippon Professional Baseball teams leaving rehab up to the players. MLB teams are less inclined to do that, but the Mets are letting Senga dictate when he’s ready to face hitters again and when he’s ready to start a rehab assignment.

“If the player feels good, they can keep pushing forward [in Japan],” Senga said. “Here, the trainers have a very well-structured program. So that might be the biggest difference.”

The Mets continue to be in a holding pattern with their ace. They hope to have clarity after his next bullpen, but that’s all they can ask for right now.

“We will continue to evaluate here and see what we’ve got,” Mendoza said. “It’s fluid, flexible, we’ve just got to listen to the player.”

Mendoza relented, agreeing to use him off the bench if needed.

It’s a good thing he did.

Nimmo teed off on left-hander A.J. Minter (5-3) with one on and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to help the Mets walk off with a 4-3 win over the Braves and avoid a sweep.

If Nimmo’s intercostal was still sore during that at-bat, you couldn’t tell.

“I don’t really feel anything right now,” Nimmo said. “I’m kind of coming off the adrenaline high, so I definitely didn’t feel anything for that at bat.”

Jeff McNeil led off with a bunt single and was moved over to second by Tomas Nido. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Nimmo connected on a cutter from Minter, sending it into the visitor’s bullpen. A night after nearly being no-hit, the Mets dug in and refused to be swept.

“We needed this one,” McNeil said. “We’re grinding. Everyone was team is grinding right now. So we’ll take any win where we can get it, and this is a big one.”

Mendoza was also ready to dig in and refuse Nimmo’s pleas to play. The manager didn’t want to risk further aggravating an injury when they were lucky enough to catch it early. A strained intercostal or oblique could lead to a lengthy injured list stint and Nimmo already has a history of muscle injuries.

But a trainer came out during batting practice and told Mendoza that Nimmo looked good swinging a bat in the cages. The outfielder had already passed a core test; swinging a bat was the last test he needed to pass. Mendoza watched him swing without favoring his right side.

“He came and watched me hit and he goes, ‘OK, you look like you’re moving pretty well.’ And I was like, ‘I feel good, so let’s have a conversation,'” Nimmo said. “So he went and talked with the trainer, Joe [Golia], and he said, ‘Hey, later in the game, what do you think?’ And I said, ‘If you need me, let’s do it.'”

Mendoza trusted Nimmo.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Mendoza said. “I said, ‘Hey, honestly, I’m not going to change my mind. But be ready from the fifth inning on.'”

DJ Stewart went 2-for-3 with a run batting from the leadoff spot for the first time this season in place of Nimmo, Pete Alonso went 2-for-4 with two RBI doubles and Francisco Lindor had two hits and scored a run.

Alonso’s two doubles came off right-handed Braves starter Bryce Elder. He doubled home Stewart in the third to tie the game at 1-1. After Atlanta went ahead 2-1 in the sixth, Lindor doubled off Elder to lead off and Alonso sent him home with a double to right-center field to tie the game at 2-2.

Elder allowed two earned runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings before being removed with one out in the sixth and Alonso at second. McNeil grounded out against left-hander Aaron Bummer to strand the runners. The Mets would strand runners in the seventh as well, while Atlanta went ahead in the eighth.

Zack Short grew up a Mets fan and realized a dream when he was named to the team’s Opening Day roster. But Sunday at Citi Field, the utility infielder scored both runs for the Braves, driven in by Marcel Ozuna both times. The first run was charged to right-hander Severino, who pitched well enough to give the Mets a chance to win.

Right-hander Adam Ottavino gave up the second single to Ozuna. After a stretch of nine straight appearances without an earned run, Ottavino has allowed four in his last four outings.

Severino pitched into the sixth inning, holding the Braves (24-13) to two earned runs on four hits, walking three and striking out four. He didn’t have his best stuff, but the damage was minimal.

“Every time you face a team like this and limit them to a couple runs, I think it’s huge,” Severino said. “We’re very good and I feel more confidence in myself.”

Edwin Diaz kept the game to within one run with a scoreless ninth to earn the win (1-1).

“Obviously, the Braves are a great team. We know that,” Nimmo said. But if you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”

The Mets (19-20) are in a stretch of 10 straight games against divisional opponents and a sweep this weekend dropped them below the Washington Nationals to put them in fourth place. They have a chance to beat the best and pick up some valuable wins this week with four games against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, starting Monday.

The manager told him it was best not to risk it. It’s still early May, so giving his star outfielder a day off to rest and prevent a minor injury from becoming a major one made sense.

“I told Mendy last night that I wanted to assess before [the game] and he was like, ‘No,'” Nimmo said Sunday at Citi Field before the Mets walked off against the Braves with a 4-3 win. Nimmo drove a full-count cutter from left-hander A.J. Minter into right-center field for a two-run, walk-off home run.

Clearly, the manager changed his mind.

“I guess we can say he’s healthy,” Mendoza said after the game.

Nimmo felt something tweak Saturday on a checked swing. He stayed in the game but was later removed for precautionary reasons. Sunday, he did some core testing and was planning on swinging a bat at some point in the day as well. Admittedly, Nimmo felt some soreness on his right side Sunday morning, but nothing he felt could be concerning.

“It’s a little sore, so it’s as if you worked out on it or something like that, maybe a little too much,” Nimmo said. “But other than that, it’s pretty good.”

Nimmo did not undergo any imaging. He made a twisting catch at the wall to rob Matt Olson of extra bases in the eighth and had no problems with any muscles in his side.

“From what I understand of the intercostal, the main responsibility of it is basically breath and then there’s a little bit of rotation into it,” Nimmo said. “So I think that as far as core stability goes for running, I didn’t feel it at all running out to the outfield yesterday. The main concern was that I was going to have to check my swing again at some point yesterday.”

The Mets used DJ Stewart at the leadoff spot and in left field Sunday against Atlanta. Stewart has primarily been a DH this season but has recently been getting more playing time in the outfield and at first base.

Stewart usually hits lower in the order, but with a low chase rate and an ability to get on base, Mendoza decided to try him in the leadoff spot, especially since he bats from the left side. Mendoza wanted a left-handed heavy lineup against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, who has a .995 against left-handed hitters this season.

“This is a guy that’s going to control the strike zone, he gets on base and he’ll do damage,” Mendoza said. “Just trying to make some things work with a lot of the lefties that we’ve got today. I like this matchup of lefties against [Elder] tonight.”

Stewart went 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot before being replaced by Nimmo in left field and at the top of the order.

CAUTIOUS KODAI

The timeline for ace Kodai Senga (strained capsule in right shoulder) to return suddenly looks a bit murky. Senga is healthy enough for a minor league rehab assignment but he doesn’t feel that his mechanics are sound enough to compete. He prefers to work on those in the bullpen before he faces live hitters again.

Senga has thrown to live hitters twice and thrown one bullpen. He’s eligible to return from the 60-day injured list May 27, but it’s unclear if the Mets are still targeting a date around that time.

“We don’t want to put him at risk,” Mendoza said. “When you’re dealing with your mechanics, and whether your arm is not catching or you’re flying open, you’re putting individuals at risk of injury. And that’s the case here. He’s very meticulous about his craft and the way he goes about his business.”

Senga will continue to work on repeating his delivery through dry sessions (going through his motion without the baseball) in between his bullpen sessions and the team will reassess in another week.

Building back up to face hitters has been a slow process, but the Mets didn’t know it would be this slow. Senga says his shoulder feels good and his arm is strong. He’ll let the Mets know when he’s ready to resume facing hitters.

“I think it’s just more of his feedback in what he’s feeling physically before we can take that next step,” Mendoza said.

STANLEY IN THE CITI

The Mets had the Stanley Cup at Citi Field on Sunday to celebrate the Rangers playing in the NHL postseason. A handful of players bucked tradition and superstition by touching the Cup, with J.D. Martinez even posing for a photo with his arm around it.

However, president of baseball operations David Stearns chose to respect superstition and avoided touching the 34 -1/2-pound silver, nickel and alloy trophy.