Mets offense finally breaks through to beat Giants

The Mets upgraded their bullpen at the trade deadline, aiming for a long October run.

But no matter what their new relievers do, it won’t matter much if the top of the lineup doesn’t produce.

And slumps from Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso don’t help.

That’s why Saturday’s 12-6 win over the Giants wasn’t just reassuring because it ended a four-game losing streak and put the Mets back atop the division, but also because Lindor, Alonso and leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo combined to drive in 10 runs to go along with five runs scored and eight hits.

That offense helped overcome a third straight clunker from Kodai Senga.

And the new-look bullpen looked good, with solid performances from newcomers Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers.

Coupled with the Phillies’ loss to Detroit, the Mets moved back into first place in the NL East.

Alonso got things going with a first-inning three-run homer and, after they fell behind, the Mets got key RBI hits in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings from Nimmo and Lindor.

If there was one concern, it was the fact that they once again failed to get any length out of their starter, as Senga lasted just four innings.

Senga, gifted an early lead after Alonso’s blast, struggled with his command and has allowed 11 earned runs over a dozen innings in his last three starts.

With the Mets failing to land a starter at the deadline, their flaws in the rotation are even more glaring.

They survived Saturday, with the Giants, undermanned due to injuries, as well as a selloff at the deadline, going with right-hander Kai-Wei Teng in his first major league start.

The Mets got to him quickly, as Alonso went deep for a second straight game with a 428-foot, three-run homer to left-center with one out in the bottom of the first. 

Nimmo got hit by a pitch to open the inning and Lindor walked before Juan Soto struck out.

But Alonso followed with his 24th homer of the season and 250th of his career, putting him just two behind Darryl Strawberry for the most in franchise history.

Senga loaded the bases with no one out in the second.

He recovered to get Grant McCray to hit into a double play that scored a run before Heliot Ramos’ lineout to center ended the inning with the Mets still up by a pair of runs. 

But Senga walked Matt Chapman with two outs in the third and then allowed a two-run homer to ex-Met Dominic Smith to tie the game at 3-3.

Senga gave up the lead in the fourth, with Jung Hoo Lee opening with a double and scoring on McCray’s RBI single.

Nimmo got the Mets even in the fourth with a one-out bouncer up the middle off lefty Matt Gage that drove in Mullins and got Brett Baty to third. 

Lindor followed with a bunt single that scored Baty to put the Mets up before Soto rocketed an inning-ending double play.

The Mets padded their lead in the sixth when Nimmo and Lindor delivered back-to-back RBI singles. 

And they put the game away with a four-run seventh, capped by Lindor’s two-run double.