Luis Severino’s gems leads Mets over Red Sox as NL wild-card race tightens

After proclaiming every series is “a must-win series” for the rest of the season, Luis Severino went out and delivered another excellent outing, leading the Mets to their fifth straight victory, 4-1 over the Red Sox at Citi Field.

It was just what the Mets were looking for to start a critical six-game homestand as they try to catch the Braves for the final NL wild-card spot.

Atlanta was off Monday, so the Mets drew to within a half-game of the Braves, who host Colorado Tuesday.

The victory came in front of a home crowd of 35,149, their highest attendance without a fan giveaway since the Mets hosted the Yankees in the Subway Series on June 26.

After a shaky outing in his previous start in Arizona on Wednesday, when he was drilled on his right foot by a line drive, Severino was sharp Monday in helping the Mets win their sixth out of their last seven to go a season-high 10 games over .500 (74-64).

Severino gave up one run in seven innings and was aided by another solid night at the plate from Francisco Lindor, who reached base three times, scored a run and drove in another.

Left-hander Danny Young took over for Severino in the eighth and got Rafael Devers to ground out to end the inning with runners on second and third to avoid some late-inning drama.

With closer Edwin Diaz having pitched four out of the previous five days, Phil Maton closed it in the ninth for his first save of the year.

Severino allowed six hits and a pair of walks in his 100-pitch performance.

He cruised through an eight-pitch first inning and pitched out of a bit of trouble in the second.

A one-out single by Triston Casas was followed by a walk to Masataka Yoshida, but Severino got Connor Wong to ground into a double play.

The Mets took the lead in the bottom of the inning, as Jose Iglesias led off with a single to center and moved to third on Jeff McNeil’s hard grounder that got by Casas at first and went down the right field line.

Starling Marte hit into a double play that scored Iglesias before DJ Stewart grounded out.

In the third, Brandon Nimmo couldn’t come up with a diving catch in center of Ceddanne Rafaela’s liner, which went for a one-out triple.

Jarren Duran then singled through a drawn-in infield to tie the game.

Nimmo put the Mets ahead again in the bottom of the third with a double smashed to center that scored Lindor from first.

Duran took a bad route on the ball that landed over his head.

The Mets added a pair of two-out runs in the fourth.

Stewart, on the roster and in the lineup because J.D. Martinez was placed on the paternity list, singled with two outs in the fourth and scored when Luis Torrens doubled to left and Tyler O’Neill fumbled the ball down the line.

The Mets added another run when Lindor singled in Torrens from second to make it 4-1.