Jesús Luzardo finds his groove after a rough start as Phillies complete a four-game sweep of the Mets

The line drive whizzed toward Jesús Luzardo.

Had it made it past him, the comebacker from New York Mets center fielder Jeff McNeil may have found a hole up the middle, and the first inning would have spiraled further. But instead, Luzardo snared the ball and spun around to get Starling Marte out at second base for the double play.

In a flash, he had gotten himself out of the first-inning jam, though not before the Mets tagged him for four runs on five hits.

But Marte’s bases-clearing double in the first inning would turn out to be the Mets’ final hit — and baserunner — of the night. Once he walked out to the mound for the second inning, Luzardo was a new pitcher.

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“I think he’s learned a few things and understands that the next pitch is the most important pitch, and what has happened in the past, it doesn’t matter,” said manager Rob Thomson. “And you just got to slow your heartbeat down and just keep attacking. And that’s what he did.”

Including McNeil, Luzardo retired 22 straight Mets to complete eight innings for the first time all season. His abrupt turnaround allowed the Phillies offense to score six unanswered en route to a 6-4 win over New York.

They completed the four-game sweep of their divisional rivals and lowered their magic number to win the National League East to five.

Luzardo has several starts this season where he unraveled after one bad inning. But this time, even after allowing four singles and Marte’s double in the first, he said he kept his mindset the same.

“At the end of the day, all we can control is the pitches we make, and the outcomes, we can’t control,” Luzardo said. “So that was the only thing I told myself: ‘If you continue to make good pitches in good parts of the zone, it should even out and it’ll play in your favor.’”

The Phillies put runners aboard in the first three innings, but didn’t cash in until the fourth. Nick Castellanos, starting in right field against Mets left-hander David Peterson, drew a walk before Otto Kemp bashed a two-run shot to center field.

It marked Kemp’s second homer in the past three games after being called up alongside Donovan Walton with Trea Turner and Alec Bohm going on the injured list.

Bryce Harper continued to chip away with a double in the fifth inning that scored Weston Wilson.

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“They just don’t quit,” Thomson said. “They’re very resilient, and they have been for years. … They understand that we can hit, we can put up runs, and it’s just a matter of time.”

While Luzardo mowed down the Mets, the Phillies finally pulled ahead with a sixth-inning rally. Kemp picked up another RBI after he and Castellanos hit back-to-back doubles. Brandon Marsh drew a walk before Harrison Bader drove in Kemp with a single up the middle to put the Phillies in front, 5-4.

“There’s a lot of experience in this locker room,” Bader said. “Guys have seen crazy games, chipping away games. And I think when you have that level of confidence and experience, I think it allows you to kind of just relax and put your best foot forward.”

Another single in the sixth inning, this time from Harper, brought in Marsh for an insurance run.

Luzardo’s quick innings helped the offense maintain its momentum. He racked up 10 strikeouts without a walk. After needing 23 pitches to finish the first inning, Luzardo capped the eighth inning with a swinging strikeout of Francisco Lindor on his 97th pitch of the night.

“The last three, four starts, I feel like my body has just hit like a second gear, and I feel really good. Arm feels good,” Luzardo said. “And I feel like my stuff and my velocity is probably the best it’s been all year.”

He touched 99 mph three times with his fastball, including once in the eighth inning at-bat against Lindor. His sweeper got nine whiffs.

He walked off to a standing ovation. But Luzardo said he barely even soaked the moment in, because he wanted the ninth, too.

“I was trying to get one more out of Topper, but he told me, ‘No way,’” Luzardo said. “He shot it down pretty quick.”

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Closer Jhoan Duran came in instead and slammed the door shut by striking out Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Mark Vientos in order. He blew a 101.9 mph fastball by Soto and sat down Alonso and Vientos swinging on his curveball.

“He’s a difference-maker,” Thomson said.

Two weeks after being swept out of Queens, the Phillies returned the favor, winning all four games without their star shortstop and third baseman. Their lead over the Mets has risen to 11 games, and they are two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball.

“The whole game, really,” Thomson said, “was probably as impressive a win as we’ve had all year.”