NEW YORK — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (45-48) win yet again, this time by a 4-0 score over the Mets on Saturday at Citi Field:

1) The Mets are bad — especially offensively — but give the Red Sox credit for bearing down and continuing their season-long winning streak with two wins in Flushing to start the final weekend of the first half. Boston’s pitchers have held New York to just two runs in 18 innings so far.

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As has been the case throughout the Sox’ midseason turnaround, unlikely heroes led the way Saturday. A rookie thrust into spot starter duty (Eduardo Rivera), a backup infielder (Andruw Monasterio) and a platoon designated hitter (Masataka Yoshida) were the stars of the day. That’s just how it’s going for the Red Sox during their eight-game heater.

Boston is 13-2 in its last 15 games and back to three games under .500.

2) The Red Sox got more than expected — in a couple of different ways — from Rivera, who was called up before the game. Making his first career big league start (and second-ever appearance), Rivera threw 3 ⅔ shutout innings and allowed just one hit (on the last pitch he threw). The big lefty struck out three and walked two.

Perhaps more impressive than Rivera’s pitching line was how much length he gave Boston. After maxing out at 29, 25 and 32 pitches in his last three outings at Triple-A Worcester, Rivera pitched deeper than expected, throwing 64 bullets (39 strikes). As the Red Sox cobbled together a bullpen game, that was important.

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As a big leaguer, Rivera has logged seven shutout innings while striking out six batters. He has impressed in a small sample.

3) The power came from a couple unlikely sources as Monasterio and Yoshida each hit two-run homers to do all the offensive damage for Boston.

Getting a rare start against a right-handed pitcher, Monasterio hit a two-run blast — his fifth of the season — to open the scoring in the top of the fourth. The Sox had just three hits against Peralta, who went 5 ⅓ innings. Monasterio got a fastball in the middle of the plate and didn’t miss it, smoking it 378 feet to left field with an exit velocity of 98.7 mph. He later added a leadoff triple against lefty A.J. Minter in the sixth.

Facing scuffling righty Tobias Myers in the eighth, Yoshida tacked onto the lead with his third homer of the year, which was right down the right field line.

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4) The bullpen relay race began in the fourth inning when Rivera lost a 10-pitch battle to the light-hitting Jorge Polanco, who dumped a single into center. Chad Tracy went to Greg Weissert for three outs, then to lefty Jovani Morán with the top of New York’s order due up in the sixth.

Morán got five outs before issuing a one-out walk to Eric Wagaman in the seventh. From there, Justin Slaten came in and the Mets loaded the bases before freezing A.J. Ewing for an inning-ending strikeout. That was the key moment of the game because Yoshida turned a two-run lead into a 4-0 advantage minutes later.

Lefty Danny Coulombe threw his longest outing of the year to finish the game, walking three batters in two scoreless innings. With the Red Sox needing to reset their bullpen ahead of Sunday’s series finale, Coulombe was designated for assignment after the win.

5) The lack of hits shouldn’t be confused for a lack of traffic against Peralta, who has had a hugely disappointing first season in New York since coming over in a big winter trade. The righty walked five batters while not getting through the fifth inning.

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The Sox had a chance to do major damage in the second when Caleb Durbin singled, Yoshida walked and the pair of runners got into scoring position on a Monasterio sacrifice bunt. But with two outs and the bases loaded, Peralta struck out Tsung-Che Cheng to escape.

Boston had another bases-loaded chance come up empty in the fifth when Durbin struck out and Yoshida grounded out to first base to end the inning and leave three stranded.

All in all, Boston was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. It mattered little.

6) A number that’s indicative of how Boston’s pitching staff has completely taken over some games this year? Saturday’s win was the ninth time the Red Sox have shut out a team all year. That has happened in 20% of their wins.

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7) It was an active day for the ABS (automatic ball-strike) challenge system. In total, the Red Sox and Mets challenged nine calls — and seven were overturned after bad original calls by home plate umpire Brock Ballou. The two worst came from the New York side as Peralta challenged a ball call on a pitch well above the zone early and Ewing challenged his taken third strike against Slaten in the seventh despite the pitch catching every part of the plate.

8) The Red Sox will finish the first half of their season Sunday looking to finish off their three-city, nine-game road trip — somehow — undefeated. With first pitch at 1:40 p.m. ET, the Sox will send lefty Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.14 ERA) to the hill. The Mets haven’t announced their starter but appear to be leaning toward starting rookie left-hander Zach Thornton (0-1, 4.35 ERA).

Boston will then have four days off for the All-Star break. Representatives Aroldis Chapman, Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela will travel to Philadelphia for the festivities after the game. Ranger Suarez won’t go, instead deciding to rehab in Boston during the break after being placed on the injured list with a groin strain late in the week.

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