The Mets officially began the second half of their 162-game schedule Thursday night, and they did so by once again picking each other up in the face of injury.

The depleted pitching staff lost another starter — this time Griffin Canning to what the Mets fear is an Achilles injury in the third inning — but they still managed a split of their four-game series against the Braves with their second straight win, a crisp 4-0 combined shutout at Citi Field, following a 1-10 stretch.

“We’re a resilient bunch and we stick together,” said Pete Alonso, who contributed two hits and an RBI. “All well-wishes to Griff, that’s obviously a really tough blow. That’s obviously not good for him, so prayers and blessings to him.

“As a response from the group, it’s awesome. The bullpen was lights out … and we needed that big time. It was a really good team win.”

Griffin Canning is helped to the dugout in the third inning of the Mets’ 4-0 win over the Braves on June 26, 2025 after what the team believes is an Achilles injury. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Four relievers combined for 6 ¹/₃ scoreless frames following Canning’s scary departure for the Mets, who will get third baseman Mark Vientos back from the injured list for Friday’s opener of a three-game series in Pittsburgh.

Despite dropping 10 of 11 before posting a 7-3 win Wednesday night over Atlanta, the Mets have moved back into first place in the NL East with a 48-34 record, a half-game ahead of the Phillies.

At the 81-game midpoint of last season, the middling Mets were 40-41, but they went on to finish with 89 wins before losing to the Dodgers in the NLCS.

Jeff McNeil rips a two-run single in the seventh inning of the Mets’ win over the Braves. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“Just basically the same thing we saw last year, the same thing we saw in spring training, with some of the injuries and some of our guys going down, and for us to continue to go out there and find a way to get the job done,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “This month, these past 10-12 days with injuries, not getting the results, and then just how steady, how consistent they stayed throughout.

“There’s no panic, but there’s a sense of urgency of how we’re going to get better. What do we need to do as a group, individually, to go out there and get out of this, this stretch and little by little we continue to do the things that we need to do. It goes to show you that those guys, they’re up for the challenge when everything comes at you. It happens every year. You’re gonna face adversity and it’s just how you want to handle it and how you’re going to respond.”

The misfortune continued when Canning was forced to depart after one turn through the Braves’ batting order.

With starters Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Sean Manaea all on the injured list, Canning left the game after recording the second out of the third inning with what Mendoza later acknowledged “looks like” an Achilles injury.

Austin Warren, who replaced the injured Griffin Canning, pitched 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings of relief in the Mets’ win over the Braves. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The righty crumbled to the mound on Nick Allen’s infield out and needed to be helped to the dugout.

He was replaced by Triple-A call-up Austin Warren, who kept the Mets in a scoreless game until they pushed across a run against Atlanta starter Grant Holmes in the fourth on Tyrone Taylor’s sacrifice fly to right to score Juan Soto, who led off the inning with a walk.

After Soto popped out with two runners aboard in the fifth, Alonso picked him up and made it 2-0 with a two-out RBI single to center.

Edwin Diaz recorded the final three outs in the Mets’ win over the Braves. Robert Sabo for New York Post

The Mets missed an opportunity to extend the lead when Taylor struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.

It didn’t matter. Dedniel Núñez replaced Warren to start the sixth and retired the next six batters, including four consecutive strikeouts.

Jeff McNeil added a two-run single with two outs in the seventh for a four-run cushion before Ryne Stanek and Edwin Díaz recorded the final six outs.

Pete Alonso rips an RBI single in the third inning of the Mets’ win over the Braves. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“Unbelievable job by the bullpen,” Mendoza said. “Once Griff goes down — yes, you hate to see it — but in the back of my mind, it’s like, ‘How are we going to get through nine innings here?’

“Hell of a job by the bullpen there. … Good job by the guys, and we were able to get the job done.”