Mets one win away from playoffs after Francisco Lindor powers victory over Brewers

MILWAUKEE — Francisco Lindor looked all the way back on Sunday, just in time to help the Mets win a needed game before hopping a charter flight to Atlanta.

In his third game since returning from lower back tightness, Lindor jump-started a stagnant lineup by reaching base three times (which included a homer) in the Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Brewers at American Family Field.

After 160 games, it’s come to this for the Mets: Win once in their doubleheader against the Braves on Monday and admittance to the postseason as an NL wild card is granted.

Get swept, and the dream is dead.

“We put ourselves in this position,” Lindor said. “It could have been way worse. We are in a position where we are fighting for what we want. We want to be in the postseason and it’s a good spot to be in.”

The Atlanta doubleheader, a day after the regular season has concluded for the other 28 teams, became necessary after two games between the NL East rivals were postponed by Hurricane Helene, and a full weekend of play resolved nothing beyond the Padres clinching the NL’s top wild-card spot.

Two other spots remain open.

The Mets would have clinched Sunday with a win and Arizona loss, but the Diamondbacks refused to fold and beat the Padres, 11-2.

The Braves lost, 4-2, to the Royals.

It left the D’backs with 89 victories and the Mets and Braves each with 88.

The Mets and Braves each hold the tiebreaker against the D’backs.

“Especially with the way we started the year and before the year, nobody expected us to be in this position,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, referencing the team’s 22-33 start. “And here we are with a chance to do something special and that is what we’ll do. We’ll go back to Atlanta and we’ll get that last one and we’ll go from there.”

The Mets plan to start Tylor Megill in Game 1 of the doubleheader against Spencer Schwellenbach. Luis Severino is slated for the nightcap against Braves ace Chris Sale.

If the Mets win the first game, they would be in position to withhold Severino for a start to open the postseason.

If the Braves win the first game, they would clinch a wild card and be in position to withhold Sale.

The Mets needed a big pitching performance Sunday and received one.

David Peterson allowed only one hit over seven shutout innings in which he struck out eight and walked three.

The Brewers are locked into the No. 3 seed in the NL for the postseason and would face the Mets in the wild-card round beginning Tuesday if the Mets were to split the doubleheader, leaving Atlanta as the higher seed.

A sweep by the Mets in the doubleheader would eliminate the Braves and give the spot to Arizona.

The Mets, as the higher seed, would face the Padres in the wildcard round.

Both best-of-three wild-card series begin Tuesday with the higher seed hosting all three games.

Most of the strain will be on a pitching staff that could be on fumes if the Mets are fortunate enough to reach the wild-card series.

“We’ll be up for the challenge,” Mendoza said. “We have been through a lot before and this is not going to stop us. We can’t use that as an excuse. We have to go out there, get that game and then move on.”

Brandon Nimmo delivered an RBI single in the first inning that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Lindor walked leading off the game and stole second before Nimmo’s single.

Nimmo also stole second and Pete Alonso walked in the inning.

Francisco Alvarez’s RBI single in the second gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.

J.D. Martinez doubled to start the rally — snapping an 0-for-36 drought — before Alvarez knocked in his 45th run of the season.

Tyrone Taylor followed with a single before Lindor singled in the Mets’ third run.

Alvarez’s sacrifice fly in the fifth gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.

Mark Vientos singled to begin the rally and Alonso was plunked before Starling Marte received an intentional walk.

Lindor homered in the sixth inning to widen the Brewers’ deficit to 5-0.

The blast was No. 32 on the season for Lindor, who heard “M-V-P” chants from the fans seated by the third base dugout.

“He’s grinding, man,” Mendoza said. “He knows how important he is and we saw it today. I don’t think we saw any frustration there. He was Francisco Lindor today.”

Peterson escaped first-inning trouble by striking out Eric Haase after allowing a single to Jackson Chourio and walking Willy Adames.

The lefty rolled from that point, surrendering the ball to Phil Maton for the eighth.

Maton allowed two base runners in the inning but, with Edwin Diaz warming in the bullpen, managed to record the final out.

Diaz, who hadn’t pitched in a week, worked a scoreless ninth.

“[Monday] should be fun,” Lindor said. “It’s going to be an uphill fight just like it has been the whole year.”