Mets use huge fifth inning to roll past Brewers in Game 1 of NL Wild Card Series

MILWAUKEE — The joy ride is still going, so step in front of the Mets at your own risk.

Any concerns that manager Carlos Mendoza’s crew might be flat after an emotional postseason-clinching victory and quick turnaround to begin the playoffs were quickly quashed Tuesday.

The Mets resembled the rested team and the Brewers, following a day off, were maybe in need of a nap.

Forget the long ball.

The Mets played pass the baton — as they largely had during a wild eighth inning Monday in the first game of their doubleheader in Atlanta — and methodically carved up the Brewers in an 8-4 victory in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series at American Family Field.

“It’s hard to be tired when you are playing playoff baseball,” Mark Vientos said. “I had a bunch of energy. I know all of us did.”

The Mets have two chances to win one more game in this series and advance to play the Phillies in the NLDS.

A five-run outburst in the fifth that bore resemblance to the six-run eighth that gave the Mets the lead Monday was the catalyst.

Only this time they didn’t need to come from behind in the ninth on a Francisco Lindor home run.

“Everybody is tired, but once you play ball you have got to go,” Mendoza said. “It’s going to be electric. It’s going to be loud. That was the case today. And you have just got to feed off that. There’s no excuses.”

Luis Severino, a playoff warhorse from his Yankees days, gave the Mets what they needed with six solid innings in which he allowed four runs, one unearned, on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The right-hander was bloodied in the first inning, allowing two runs, but recovered and departed with the Mets ahead 8-4.

Severino was on a “batter-by-batter” basis after scuffling through the fourth.

He finished strong by retiring the final eight batters he faced, helping the Mets avoid overusing the bullpen.

“It was a grind since the first inning,” Severino said. “I feel like I was making good pitches, just they were hitting the ball to good spots. I know we’ve got a good team. I just needed to keep competing and keep leaving the game like that and hopefully we were going to come back.”

Jose Butto gave the Mets two perfect innings with three strikeouts behind Severino before Ryne Stanek worked a scoreless ninth.

Severino fell into a 2-0 hole in the first inning. Brice Turang doubled off Mark Vientos’ glove and Jackson Chourio singled before William Contreras delivered an RBI single.

Willy Adames walked to load the bases and Rhys Hoskins got plunked to bring in the inning’s second run.

Severino faced eight batters and threw 24 pitches in the inning.

Jesse Winker, who sat for the previous four games with back discomfort, stroked a two-run triple in the second to tie it before Starling Marte’s sacrifice fly gave the Mets a 3-2 lead.

Vientos singled and Pete Alonso walked in the inning before Winker — in the lineup largely because he was 6-for-18 with two homers lifetime against Freddy Peralta — pulled a shot into the right-field corner and kept running to third.

“It’s go time,” Winker said. “You’re in the playoffs. There’s really no time to think about the doubleheader. We did our job there and then you pop champagne and then we got on the plane.”

Chourio’s RBI single in the fourth tied it 3-3 before Contreras’ groundout brought in another run, which was unearned following Tyrone Taylor’s error on Chourio’s single. Sal Frelick doubled leading off the inning and Turang singled.

After Marte was robbed of an extra-base hit on Chourio’s leaping catch at the left-field fence to begin the fifth, the Mets erupted for five runs against relievers Joel Payamps and Aaron Ashby.

Taylor doubled to left and Lindor drew a two-out walk.

Jose Iglesias hustled out an infield hit, diving into first base to beat the throw, for an RBI single. Vientos’ ensuing two-run single put the Mets ahead 6-4.

But the Mets weren’t finished in the inning.

After a wild pitch advanced Vientos to second, Alonso was intentionally walked and J.D. Martinez, pinch hitting for Winker, delivered a two-run single that buried the Brewers in an 8-4 hole.

“We got here today and treated it just like a regular day,” Mendoza said. “We went out there and played our game.”