Mets somehow are a winning team again

Mickey Callaway manages a winner.

Roughly three hours after Jacob deGrom helped the Mets complete a nearly 10-week climb to .500, the suddenly surging franchise officially became a winning team for the first time since May 2, capturing a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory — on a trio of seventh-inning solo homers, including back-to-back, two-out shots by Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso — over the Marlins to sweep Monday’s doubleheader at Citi Field.

“We’re never out of it,” Alonso said on the field after the game. “We always believe. That’s just a matter of fact.”

When the Mets dropped their first game after the All-Star break in Miami, they were buried 11 games under .500. Just over three weeks later, the former laughingstocks were cackling with delight, becoming just the third team in franchise history to reach .500 after falling at least 10 games under, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

When Conforto and Alonso drilled their dramatic blasts — giving the Mets their 11th win in 12 games, and a major league-best 17-6 record since the All-Star break — anything appeared possible.

“It means a lot,” Callaway said before the best day of his two-year tenure. “I think these guys have stay focused. They knew they can do something special, and they’re gonna continue to strive to do that. …

We know we’re far from our goal. We’re gonna continue to climb and climb and climb, and scratch and claw, and I have a feeling these guys are gonna do that.”

It seemed possible when the Mets entered the day just three games out of the second wild-card spot in the National League. It grew more likely after deGrom (7-7) dominated, allowing two runs, and driving in a pair, in the 6-2 opening win.

“It’s exciting,” deGrom said. “I think it’s definitely another step, but we still have to win baseball games to get back into the wild-card [race]. We still got work to do. I think everybody in there knows that.”

The momentum carried over, as the Mets jumped on top just three at-bats into the second game, taking a 2-0 lead on a Conforto single. But several blown opportunities — including a scoreless sixth inning after getting the first two batters on base —left the Mets reliant on spot starter Walker Lockett.

Making his fourth appearance with the Mets this season, Lockett allowed the Marlins to tie the game on Bryan Holaday’s solo homer to open the fifth, and was removed after 4 ²/₃ innings. Robert Gsellman entered, and immediately surrendered a two-run double to former Met Curtis Granderson, giving the Marlins a 4-2 lead.

Then came an inning which electrified Queens, which made this run feel like more than taking advantage of soft schedule, which made the season feel like something ripped out of 2015 or 1973.

Following five consecutive scoreless innings — and the removal of All-Star Jeff McNeil after he came up with a right calf cramp — J.D. Davis opened the seventh with a solo homer off Jeff Brigham, who retired the next two batters. Conforto then came to the plate, and destroyed a 3-2 fastball deep into the upper deck in right field, tying the game with his 23rd homer of the season. Alonso soon faced his own full count, and laced a fastball to left field for his 34th homer, with 29,000 or so making Citi Field sound like every seat was filled.

Seth Lugo then came on to throw two scoreless innings, picking up his second save of the season.

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