NEW YORK -- In March and April, the Mets lost five consecutive games to open the season. In May, they floundered as one of the league¡¯s worst teams. In June, the Mets found Grimace and ¡°OMG¡± and commenced a rally. In July, they rejiggered their roster. In August, they held steady.

And in September? In September, the Mets have announced themselves as the hottest team in baseball.

Jesse Winker¡¯s first-inning grand slam keyed an 8-3 win and a series sweep of the Red Sox at Citi Field on Wednesday, marking New York¡¯s seventh consecutive win. Although the Mets remain a half-game back of the Braves for the final National League Wild Card spot, they have put themselves in a realistic position to chase down their rivals over the final 22 games of the season.

¡°We¡¯re in the thick of it,¡± president of baseball operations David Stearns said earlier this week. ¡°We¡¯ve earned the right to be here. We¡¯ve played well enough to be here. This isn¡¯t a fluke. And we¡¯ve got a month left to play really good baseball to give us a chance to have some fun in October.¡±

New York¡¯s seventh straight victory showcased many of the reasons why the Mets have become legitimate Wild Card contenders. It began with Winker, a Trade Deadline acquisition brought in to deepen their lineup against right-handed pitchers. Batting with the bases loaded and one out in the first inning against one of the American League¡¯s top starters in Tanner Houck, Winker redirected a splitter just over the left-center-field fence for his fifth career slam, giving the Mets an early four-run lead.

It continued in the middle innings with manager Carlos Mendoza, who took command of things after Tylor Megill allowed a leadoff hit in the fifth. From that point forward, Mendoza navigated the final 15 outs using five relievers -- four of whom were not on the Opening Day roster, and three of whom were not in the organization two months ago.

It ended with a block party. By the bottom of the eighth, as Boston¡¯s pitching melted down and the Mets rallied for four insurance runs, including three on bases-loaded walks, Citi Field came alive. Fans fished around for their cell phones, shining lights on the field as the Red Sox made pitching changes. They screamed along to ¡°Mr. Brightside¡± and Francisco Lindor¡¯s popular walkup music, ¡°My Girl.¡±

¡°It¡¯s incredible,¡± Winker said. ¡°The energy in our stadium every night is unmatched. You just want to do your part. You just want to help any way you can.¡±

Stearns has certainly done his part with the midseason acquisitions of Winker, Phil Maton and others, supplementing the core he built over the offseason. Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner have arranged those pieces in optimal ways. Lindor has led the offensive charge as a bona fide National League MVP candidate, while fostering what many have described as a uniquely optimistic clubhouse culture.

¡°The vibes have always been positive regardless of the outcome,¡± Megill said. ¡°Obviously, we were struggling a bit early, but no one was ever down. ¡­ They show up each and every day, just ready to go win a ballgame.¡±

To be clear: The Mets¡¯ mission is not nearly complete. If the season ended today, they would miss the playoffs, because as hot as they¡¯ve been, the Padres, Diamondbacks and Braves have been equally vibrant. In some ways, the Mets are still recovering from their poor start to the season.

But with 22 games to play, Mendoza¡¯s bunch has ensured that every single one of them is likely to matter. With each passing night, the Mets are gaining confidence. The crowds at Citi Field are remaining large and engaged. The wins are piling up.

¡°This is a great time of year,¡± was how Lindor put it. ¡°Whenever you step outside, it¡¯s getting a little colder. It gets dark a little earlier. It¡¯s a good feeling.¡±

The Mets¡¯ mission continues Friday with three against the Reds in Flushing, followed by three more in Toronto and then the final gauntlet: 13 of their final 16 games against the first-place Phillies, second-place Braves and first-place Brewers.

¡°It feels good, but there¡¯s a lot of games left. There¡¯s a lot of good teams in the race,¡± Mendoza said. ¡°We¡¯re doing a lot of good things, and we need to continue to do that in order to get to where we need to get.¡±