Mets move closer to wild-card spot with 4-1 win over Red Sox

New York: Luis Severino pitched seven crisp innings, Francisco Lindor sparked New York s lineup again and the surging Mets crept closer to playoff pos...

New York: Luis Severino pitched seven crisp innings, Francisco Lindor sparked New York’s lineup again and the surging Mets crept closer to playoff position by beating the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Monday night.

Brandon Nimmo hit an RBI double and saved a run with a terrific catch in center field for the Mets, who have won five straight and 12 of 17 to move within a half-game of idle Atlanta for the last National League wild card.

"We’re close to being in that playoff spot,” Severino said. "So from now on, every time they give me the ball, it’s a chance for me to get my team closer to the playoffs.”

Greeted with "MVP! MVP!” chants from a crowd of 35,064 throughout New York’s first home game following a 7-3 trip, Lindor singled twice, scored a run and was plunked by a pitch. His second base hit drove in Luis Torrens to make it 4-1 in the fourth.

"I’m not going to lie - it was pretty cool. I felt it, too, and it was like, wow!” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Looking back to April and here we are, first week of September, and we have 35,000-40,000 people chanting ‘MVP!’ That’s pretty cool.”