Sean Manaea and a pair of relievers combined on a two-hitter on Tuesday night for the host New York Mets, who beat the Minnesota Twins 2-0 in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.

J.D. Martinez had two hits, including a fourth-inning RBI single, and Mark Vientos hit a fifth-inning homer as New York improved to 17-9 this month. Minnesota lost for the seventh time in 11 games.

Manaea (7-4) gave up the two hits and walked one while striking out 11 — the most strikeouts this season by a Mets starter. He retired the last 10 batters he faced after Carlos Santana’s fourth-inning single.

Twins rookie David Festa (1-2) took the hard-luck loss after giving up the two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings.

Festa faced the minimum through three innings of one-hit ball before New York manufactured a run in unusual fashion in the fourth. Brandon Nimmo drew a one-out walk, took second on a balk by Festa and moved to third on a wild pitch before trotting home on Martinez’s single.

Vientos opened the fifth with his 15th home run this season.

Minnesota threatened to score against Ryne Stanek in the eighth.

Max Kepler led off by reaching on first baseman Pete Alonso’s throwing error, and Brooks Lee drew a one-out walk. Edwin Diaz relieved Stanek with two away and fanned Byron Buxton to end the inning before throwing a perfect ninth to earn his 13th save.

The shutout was the third of the season for the Mets. The Twins were blanked for the seventh time.

Nimmo and Jesse Winker each singled for New York, and Nimmo had a stolen base.

Lee had Minnesota’s first hit, a third-inning single. He stole second with two outs before Buxton struck out. Jorge Alcala, Griffin Jax and Caleb Thielbar combined to blank the Mets on two hits over three innings.

–Field Level Media