New York’s J.D. Martinez hits a two-run scoring single during the fifth inning of Game 2 of a National League wild-card  game against the Brewers at Milwaukee on Tuesday. Morry Gash/Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — Mark Vientos hit a tie-breaking, two-run single during a five-run outburst in the fifth inning as the indefatigable New York Mets continued their thrilling week by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 in an NL Wild Card Series opener Tuesday.

The Mets didn’t earn a playoff berth until they rallied late from a three-run deficit to win the opening game of a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday, one day after the regular season was supposed to end.

Now they’re a win from heading to Philadelphia for an NL Division Series.

Milwaukee has lost 10 of its last 11 playoff games, a stretch that began with its Game 7 home defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2018 NL Championship Series.

Jesse Winker and pinch-hitter J.D. Martinez each drove in two runs for the Mets. Winker, who batted .199 with a .567 OPS for the Brewers last year before bouncing back this season, drew a chorus of boos each time he batted and appeared to exchange words with Milwaukee shortstop Willy Adames after hitting a two-run triple in the second.

Brice Turang went 3 for 4, Jackson Chourio was 2 for 4 and William Contreras had two RBI for the Brewers. .

The Mets were playing in Milwaukee just 22 hours after that Monday doubleheader in Atlanta. They clinched their spot in the postseason by scoring all their runs in the final two innings of an 8-7 victory over the Braves.

They showed a similar tenacity Tuesday.

After the Brewers took the early lead with two runs in the first inning, the Mets answered by scoring three runs in the second. Once the Brewers pulled back ahead with two runs in the fourth, the Mets quickly responded again, this time with five runs in the fifth.

The Brewers had just taken a 4-3 lead heading into the fifth inning when Manager Pat Murphy removed Freddy Peralta, who had overcome a shaky start to retire the last nine batters he faced, and turned to a relief corps that ranked second in the majors in bullpen ERA this season.

It didn’t go well.

Starling Marte greeted Joel Payamps by hitting a drive that a leaping Chourio caught at the left-field wall, preventing at least an extra-base hit. Tyrone Taylor then doubled to left on a flyball Chourio misjudged, allowing it to go off his glove.

With two on and two outs, Jose Iglesias hit a hard grounder that first baseman Rhys Hoskins snared. But Iglesias dived headfirst and beat Payamps to the bag for an infield single, with Taylor racing all the way home from second to tie the game.

Aaron Ashby then took over for Payamps. He didn’t retire any of the five batters he faced.

After Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single, Vientos hit a two-run single to right. Ashby threw a wild pitch and intentionally walked Pete Alonso to load the bases before Martinez, batting for Winker, delivered a two-run single to right.

The Brewers went down quietly after that. Chourio hit an RBI single in the fourth, but Mets pitchers retired the next 17 batters to end the game.

Mets starter Luis Severino recovered nicely from a shaky start. He allowed eight hits and four runs — three earned — in six innings. José Buttó threw two perfect innings and Ryne Stanek retired the side in order in the ninth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

TIGERS 3, ASTROS 1: Tarik Skubal kept up his stellar season with a sensational playoff debut and visiting Detroit got to Framber Valdez early in a win over Houston in their AL wild-card series opener.

The Tigers, swept in the American League Division Series in their last trip to the playoffs in 2014, got their first postseason win since Game 4 in the 2013 AL Championship Series against the Red Sox.

Down 3-0 entering the ninth, Houston scored on Yanier Diaz’s RBI single and had the bases loaded when Jason Heyward hit a game-ending lineout against Beau Brieske.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Wednesday in Houston.

Skubal, the AL pitching Triple Crown winner, allowed just four singles and walked one in six innings. About the only hard hit by the Astros off him was one that hit him — the lefty was struck on his right wrist by Diaz’s second-inning comebacker. He walked one and struck out six.

Yordan Alvarez, playing for the first time since spraining his right knee Sept. 22, doubled off Jason Foley starting the ninth inning. Pinch-runner Zach Dezenzo and moved to third on Alex Bregman’s infield single and Diaz singled on a grounder to right.

Jeremy Peña sacrificed, Brieske relieved and Victor Caratini flied out to short left. Chas McCormick and Brieske retired Heyward for the save.

The AL West champions were hurt by yet another playoff flop from Valdez, who went 0-3 in the postseason last year. Houston’s ace ranked third in the AL with a 2.91 ERA in the regular season but permitted three runs and seven hits in just 4 1/3 innings Tuesday.

Detroit pounced on him in the second. Wenceel Pérez singled with one out before, Spencer Torkelson walked and Parker Meadows grounded into a forceout that left runners at the corners.

Jake Rogers, Trey Sweeney and Matt Vierling hit consecutive RBI singles for a 3-0 lead.

It was a return to Houston for Detroit Manager A.J. Hinch, who led Houston to a championship in 2017, and the last managed a postseason game in the Astros’ loss in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.

The following January he was suspended for a year by Major League Baseball and fired the same day for his role in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal.

He joined the Tigers after his suspension was up and guided the team back to the postseason with a 31-13 finish to the regular season.

The Astros, in the postseason for a franchise-record eighth straight season, had won a MLB-record 10 consecutive postseason openers. They played their 98th postseason game since 2017.

ROYALS 1, ORIOLES 0: Bobby Witt Jr. made the most of his much-anticipated playoff debut, driving in the only run to back Cole Ragans’ six sharp innings and help visiting Kansas City return from a nine-year postseason absence with a victory over Baltimore in Game 1 of their AL wild-card series.

Witt, the 24-year-old shortstop who led the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season, singled to left field off a 95 mph, first-pitch cutter from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes with two outs in the sixth. Maikel Garcia came around to score after drawing a walk, stealing second — Burnes allowed runners to swipe a major league-high 41 bases this season — and moving to third on a groundout.

Ragans left after 80 pitches because of cramping in his left calf, and a bullpen that was KC’s weakness during the regular season was more than fine.

Sam Long, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg, who earned the save, shut down the Orioles the rest of the way.

The Royals lost 106 games last season but a 30-win improvement has them back in October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.

Now they can end this best-of-three series and advance to an AL Division Series against the New York Yankees by winning Game 2 in Baltimore on Wednesday, when KC will send All-Star Seth Lugo to the mound. Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde said he wouldn’t announce his starter until after Tuesday’s game, although it was expected to be Zach Elfin.

Baltimore has lost its last nine postseason games, a skid that dates to 2014.

Ragans, a lefty All-Star picked up in a trade with the Texas Rangers last season, was terrific, mixing a 98 mph fastball with a variety of off-speed offerings, allowing just four hits and striking out eight.