The Mets (11-5) entered Monday’s action having won their last four series, and they’re off to a good start in their quest for five in a row. In the team’s series opener against the Twins (5-12), the Mets battled the cold and rain on their way to a 5-1 win.

The conditions kept the score low before the Mets began to build on their lead later in the game. A 3-1 Mets lead in the seventh inning became a 5-1 Mets lead when Juan Soto launched his second home run of the year. The $765 million man hit it 405 feet to right-center field for his first homer since the second game of the year, and it gave the Mets some insurance as they looked to hold the Twins down.

Before Soto’s homer, though, there was very little offense from either side. Both starters, Clay Holmes and Joe Ryan, had elevated pitch counts but ultimately limited the opposition in their outings. The starters had nearly identical lines, with Holmes allowing a run in five innings, giving up two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. Ryan also allowed a run in five innings with the same number of walks and strikeouts, but he allowed three hits to Holmes’ two.

Joe Ryan was the first to surrender a run during the third inning in which Luisangel Acuña walked and stole second base. With two outs in the inning, Pete Alonso ripped a single into left field to put the Mets on the board. There were a couple of other instances early in the game where the Mets had a runner in scoring position with less than two outs, but they couldn’t tack on.

That allowed the Twins to stay in the game, and they capitalized in the fifth when Clay Holmes began the inning with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk to load the bases with no outs. Holmes did a good job limiting the damage, though, allowing just a run on a sacrifice fly, which tied the game at one apiece.

The Mets struck right back in the top of the sixth, with Alonso again in the middle of the action. The first baseman led off the inning with a hard-hit single to center field before Mark Vientos ripped a double into the right-center field gap to give the Mets the lead. The lead was extended to 3-1 after Justin Topa, who was the first reliever in the game, threw away what would have been the inning-ending out on a routine toss to the first baseman, allowing Vientos to come around and score.

The sixth inning seemed to open the floodgates, as the Mets added on again in the seventh inning. Luisangel Acuña led off the inning with a bunt single, advancing to second base on another throwing error by the pitcher. Juan Soto then launched his second home run of the year to put the Mets up 5-1, giving the team some needed separation.

Huascar Brazobán had another excellent outing to keep the Twins at bay, needing just 20 pitches to get through two hitless innings in the sixth and seventh. The 35-year-old, who nearly didn’t make the Opening Day roster, now owns a 0.79 ERA with a 0.71 WHIP in 11 1/3 innings this year.

Reed Garrett followed Brazobán and unsurprisingly looked fantastic, pitching a 1-2-3 eighth inning with two strikeouts on 15 pitches. Garrett has yet to allow a run in 6 2/3 innings this season. For the ninth, the Mets called on Ryne Stanek, who allowed a hit but otherwise shut down the Twins to give the Mets the 5-1 win. The Mets are now 11-5 and two games up in the National League East.

Stat of the Game: First Hit with RISP

Surprisingly, Soto’s home was his first hit with runners in scoring position this year. The homer was also the Mets’ first one not off the bat of Alonso with runners in scoring position. The whole team has struggled to hit in scoring situations, and Soto has been part of that. He’ll have plenty more opportunities throughout the year, though, with Francisco Lindor batting in front of him.

Player of the Game: Juan Soto

Juan Soto hadn’t homered in 13 straight games before his two-run shot Monday night. Soto needed that bomb, which perhaps will get his bat hot in the coming days. Even despite his struggles, if you can even call them that, Soto owns a .250 average and an .829 OPS.

On Deck

The Mets’ series with the Twins continues Tuesday night, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET. Tylor Megill (2-1, 0.63 ERA) will look to continue his fast start to the season, while Bailey Ober (0-1, 7.11 ERA) will try to turn his around. The game will air on SNY.