NEW YORK -- At some point in the melee around home plate, Mark Vientos lost his shirt. Soaked top to bottom, Gatorade stinging his eyes, Vientos did not seem to care. He ripped off his batting gloves, slicked back his hair and stood, bare-chested, beaming as he gazed around Citi Field.

Vientos had just delivered his second home run of Friday night, a walk-off, two-run shot in the 10th inning that gave the Mets a 6-4 win over the Reds and their eighth straight victory overall, allowing them to keep pace in a National League Wild Card race that, more and more, is demanding perfection from its entrants. Closer Edwin D¨ªaz called these playoff-type games, demanding by their very nature that the Mets win every one of them.

It may seem like an impossible task, yet the Mets really are winning every ¡­ single ¡­ one of them -- eight games in a row now, their longest streak since Aug. 3-10, 2019.

¡°I don¡¯t know if I believe in magic,¡± Vientos said. ¡°But I think we have the energy and the right mindset going into this month, because we¡¯re hungry and we want to make it to the playoffs.¡±

Despite squandering two leads earlier in the night, the Mets never trailed. Vientos¡¯ first home run, a two-run shot in the first inning, gave them an early advantage. After Sean Manaea allowed an Elly De La Cruz game-tying homer in the fourth, the Mets rallied for two more of their own in the sixth. Cincinnati responded with a TJ Friedl two-run homer off Manaea in the seventh.

All that did was arrange the end game exactly how the Mets like it. Leading off the bottom of the 10th with an automatic runner on second base, Vientos opened his at-bat with what seemed to Carlos Mendoza like a casual take of an inside cutter.

¡°The way he took it, I was like, ¡®Game¡¯s over here,¡¯¡± the Mets¡¯ manager said. ¡°He was just calm. There was no panic. There was no rush. It was with ease.¡±

Vientos saw seven more pitches from Justin Wilson before launching the last of them well over the left-field fence for a walk-off -- his third hit of the night. When he did, Vientos lifted his bat in the air, held it with both hands, then tossed it forcefully toward the Mets¡¯ dugout. His teammates were already rushing up the stairs and over the railing, preparing to swallow Vientos up at home plate.

¡°When we have the chance to take the lead, we take it,¡± D¨ªaz said. ¡°And we finish them.¡±

It would be inaccurate to call Vientos the focal point of this Mets roster, because the team has had so many individuals thrive in so many different ways. In recent weeks, Francisco Lindor has established himself as a legitimate NL MVP candidate, Jesse Winker has proven his worth as a Trade Deadline acquisition, Manaea has contributed perhaps the best pitching run of his professional life, and D¨ªaz has found his groove again, striking out the side in the ninth inning Friday while appearing in the same game as his brother for the first time.

Vientos is just another of those representative stories -- a former top prospect who struggled to gain a foothold under previous Mets administrations, but whose skill and perseverance inevitably led him to this point: the No. 3 hitter for the hottest team in baseball, the owner of a .905 OPS and perhaps the best-hitting third baseman in the sport right now.

¡°He¡¯s been everything and more,¡± Mendoza said.

Because of Vientos and all the others, the Mets have transformed a long-shot Wild Card chase into what is now statistically more like a coin flip. They¡¯ve won eight games in a row and still have five left against the Reds and Blue Jays before their schedule turns truly daunting.

If they keep winning, they¡¯ll reach their goals regardless of what their rivals do. When Pete Alonso returned home to his apartment on Thursday evening, his doorman excitedly greeted him, telling him the Braves and Padres had lost. The Mets, despite being idle, had moved into a tie for the final National League Wild Card spot.

One night later, thanks to Vientos, they remained there, with a chance on Saturday to do even better.

¡°You¡¯ve got to win every day. That¡¯s the No. 1 thing,¡± Alonso said. ¡°If you win games more than everyone else, things take care of themselves.¡±