NEW YORK -- Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run with two outs in the 12th inning after also connecting for a tying shot in the 11th, lifting the New York Mets over the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Saturday night hours after they announced star right-hander Jacob deGrom is likely done for the season.
The defending NL champs entered with a two-game lead over St. Louis for the second NL wild card. The Cardinals played later against the Giants, who were one game ahead of the Mets for the first wild card.
Granderson pulled a 3-2 pitch from Ryan O'Rourke (0-1) down the right-field line to win it, getting mobbed at home plate by teammates.
Granderson led off the 11th with a drive that made it 2-all.
[RELATED: Mets star pitcher deGrom likely out for season with injury]
Josh Edgin (1-0) pitched a scoreless 12th and got his first victory since June 1, 2014.
San Francisco Giants
DeGrom was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday and will probably miss the rest of the year because of an injury to the ulnar nerve in his right elbow.
Granderson's homer was the 201st by the Mets this season, breaking the team record set in 2006. It was his 28th home run this year and third career game-ender, including one on May 27 against the Dodgers.
The Mets moved a season-high 10 games over .500 and have won 10 of their last 13. They've won six straight against the Twins dating to 2010, including the first two in this series against the team with the majors' worst record.
After Minnesota's Byron Buxton hit a soaring homer for a 2-1 lead in the 11th, Granderson tied it in the bottom half offBrandon Kintzler.
Yoenis Cespedes made it 1-all with an RBI single off reliever Ryan Pressly in the eighth. Cespedes has 22 RBIs since coming off the disabled list Aug. 19, and New York is 18-5 in games he's started since returning.
Twins starter Ervin Santana struck out nine, walked two and allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings.
Santana didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth and only permitted three Mets past first base. The 33-year-old is 4-3 with a 2.56 ERA since the All-Star break after beginning the season 1-7 with a 5.10 ERA over 12 starts.
Rookie Seth Lugo labored through five innings of four-hit ball to again support the Mets' decimated rotation. He walked four but stranded them all, allowing his only run on a homer by Eddie Rosario in the fourth.
Lugo ended a four-start winning streak, halting his bid to become the first Met to win five of his first six major league starts.
HAIRY SITUATION
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson announced deGrom's prognosis hours before New York began giving awayJacob deGrom Hair Hats at the gate.
DeGrom has been out since Sept. 1 because of elbow pain. The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year felt fine while throwing a bullpen Friday but sensed a twinge after tossing a baseball in from the outfield during batting practice about 15 minutes later.
DeGrom will need surgery but has not decided whether he will wait until the end of the season. Recovery time for the operation is expected to be three months, meaning the 28-year-old will be ready for spring training.
An MRI showed no damage to deGrom's ulnar collateral ligament - good news for the star righty, who already had Tommy John surgery in 2010.
NOT BRUCE FANS
Fans booed outfielder Jay Bruce after he popped out to foul territory in the seventh and struck out with a man on in the eighth. Bruce was 0 for 5 and is batting .181 since being acquired from Cincinnati on Aug. 1.
TRAINER'S ROOM
TWINS: Rosario appeared to injure his left hand or wrist diving into first base trying to beat out a grounder in the 10th inning. He was replaced in left field by Logan Schafer.
Mets: LHP Steven Matz threw a 30-pitch bullpen and could return soon after already missing a month with left shoulder tightness. Matz will be evaluated Sunday before determining his next course of action. ... 1B Lucas Dudawas activated off the disabled list prior to the game. He missed nearly four months recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back. To make space, the Mets transferred LHP Jonathon Niese to the 60-day disabled list.
UP NEXT
Gabriel Ynoa and a "plethora" of relievers will pitch in deGrom's place Sunday against Minnesota, said Mets manager Terry Collins. Kyle Gibson (6-9, 5.08) will throw for the Twins.
