Jeff McNeil’s walk-off hit in 10th propels red-hot Mets past Braves in thriller

After making Yankee Stadium their personal playground the previous two nights, the Mets continued their winning ways at Citi Field on Thursday, beating the Braves in dramatic fashion.

They opened a key four-game series against Atlanta with a 3-2, 10-inning win in Queens, capped off by Jeff McNeil’s two-out RBI single that scored free-runner Jose Iglesias.

It was the Mets’ fourth straight win and brought them to within half a game of the slumping Braves for the top spot in the NL wild-card race.

Winners of 14 of their past 17 games at home, the Mets also sent Atlanta to its fifth consecutive defeat.

“We’ve come a long way from the beginning of the year and we’ve put ourselves in a good spot,’’ McNeil said of the season turnaround. “We’ll see what happens.”

McNeil’s play of late has been emblematic of what the Mets have done over the past two months.

He came through again Thursday.

After J.D. Martinez struck out to lead off the bottom of the 10th, Pete Alonso was walked intentionally with Pierce Johnson on the mound.

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Mark Vientos whiffed, but the suddenly hot McNeil lofted one down the right-field line that was overrun by Ramon Laureano and it fell for the game-winner.

“Things are finally starting to go my way, which is nice,’’ McNeil said.

Phil Maton had pitched the top of the 10th and after Orlando Arcia bunted Laureano, the free runner, to third, things got interesting.

With ex-Met prospect Jarred Kelenic at the plate, Laureano broke for home in an apparent squeeze attempt, but Kelenic didn’t bunt.

Laureano got caught in a rundown and was tagged out by Francisco Alvarez — who took exception to Laureano shouldering him during the tag.

Cooler heads prevailed and Maton got Kelenic on a comebacker to finish the inning.

It was an eventful start to a key series.

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Facing the resurgent Chris Sale, who had allowed two runs or fewer in his previous seven starts and 13 of his prior 14 outings.

The 35-year-old is having his best season since his career was derailed by Tommy John surgery in 2020.

The Mets got to Sale in the third.

It started with a one-out walk to Tyrone Taylor and they took the lead on Francisco Lindor’s 22nd homer of the season.

The two-run shot to center made it 2-1.

It was the shortstop’s homer in his past four games and he was greeted by chants of “MVP” as he rounded the bases.

Sale didn’t give up a hit the rest of the way and retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.

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Luis Severino wasn’t his sharpest and gave up two runs in five-plus innings.

He allowed three straight base runners and a run that tied the game to start the sixth and was replaced by Jose Butto with two on and no one out.

Butto got the next three outs to keep the game tied.

The right-hander, moved to the bullpen earlier in the season, retired all nine batters he faced before giving way to Edwin Diaz to start the ninth.

Diaz pitched into and out of trouble in the ninth and the Mets took care of the rest in the 10th.

And while they are flying high now, Carlos Mendoza and Lindor refused to look too far ahead.

“We’re not looking at the standings,’’ Mendoza said. “We take it one game at a time.”

Lindor added of the Braves: “They’re a good team. They know how to play baseball in August and September. We’ve got to do the same thing. We’ll see where we are at the end of the year.”

So far, in a second half that started off with series against the Yankees and Atlanta, the Mets like where they are.

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