NEW YORK -- The $110 million outfielder in the first year of his four-year contract is already thinking about finishing his career elsewhere. The star closer stalked off the mound when he was pulled in the middle of a save opportunity -- in the eighth inning. The usually talkative manager was stepping away from the podium after a post-game press conference that barely lasted 3 1/2 minutes.

For the New York Mets, even the wins these days feel like dysfunctional family holiday meals.

Michael Conforto hit a pair of two-run homers Friday night and situational left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins, the last line of defense in the bullpen, secured the final five outs as the Mets capped yet another chaotic day at Citi Field by surviving a late rally by the Oakland Athletics to hang on for a 7-5 win at Citi Field.

Of course, since these are the Mets, Conforto's continued surge, the longest save of Blevins' career and New York's third straight win were almost rendered footnotes by the tabloid-worthy events that happened before and during the game.

Yoenis Cespedes, the Mets' biggest star and highest-paid player, went 3-for-4 hours after telling the San Francisco Chronicle that he hopes to finish his career by playing one final season in Oakland, where he spent the first three-plus years of his career, and calling Athletics manager Bob Melvin the best manager he has ever played for.

"I was just telling (the reporter) that it'd be nice if somehow, at the end of my career, that very last year, I got to play in Oakland," Cespedes said through an interpreter. "With respect to the comments I made about their manager, that does not take away from my relationship with Terry."

Collins said he was unaware of Cespedes' comments until he was asked about them in his press conference.

"Bob's a great manager -- I don't blame (Cespedes)," Collins said. "But I know nothing about it."

Collins likely knew his closer, Addison Reed, was pretty miffed in the eighth inning. Reed, who threw 2 1/3 innings in getting a save and a win the previous two days, received the call Friday with one out, two on and the Mets leading 7-4. But Collins pulled Reed after he walked Rajai Davis and gave up an RBI single to Marcus Semien.

Reed, who also glared at home plate umpire Dan Iassogna after a borderline ball four call to Davis, walked off the mound without looking at Collins.

"I just thought we had to get those two guys out or we were in trouble," Collins said. "We didn't get them out, so I went to Jerry."

Blevins escaped the eighth by inducing left-handed-hitting Yonder Alonso to pop out to first and striking out right-handed cleanup batter Khris Davis.

"We had some guys on, our two best guys up, our 3-4 hitters up," Melvin said. "It felt like we were in a pretty good spot."

Blevins then threw a perfect ninth to cap his first save of the season.

"It's a lot of outs," Blevins said with a grin. "I'm just glad it went five in a row instead of spreading them out a little bit."

Blevins' save preserved the win for Hansel Robles (5-1), who allowed one hit in a scoreless sixth inning. Paul Sewald walked two in a scoreless seventh before Collins had to piece together the eighth with Erik Goeddel (two runs and three hits), Reed and Blevins.

"The games are never easy," Collins said. "But we just tried to find some matchups that worked."

The Mets (44-50) came back twice against the Athletics, who took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Ryon Healy against Steven Matz. Conforto homered in the third before Oakland went back ahead in the fifth on an RBI single by Semien and a sacrifice fly by Khris Davis.

The Mets took the lead for good in bizarre fashion in the sixth, when T.J. Rivera laced a go-ahead two-run single and scored from second when third baseman Matt Chapman, who had just tagged out Lucas Duda trying to advance to third for the second out, threw past second base and into deep right field.

"Just trying to get rid of it and hurry and make the play," Melvin said of Chapman. "He just missed it."

Conforto went deep again in the seventh to extend the Mets' lead to 7-3. He is batting .323 (10-for-31) with four homers and nine RBIs in seven games since the All-Star break.

Pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie chased Goeddel with an RBI single in the eighth.

Semien tied a career high with four hits and added a stolen base for the Athletics (43-53), who have lost three of four.

Healy left with a face contusion after being hit by a ground ball hit by Duda in the sixth.

Athletics starter Paul Blackburn (1-1) took the loss after allowing four runs, six hits and one walk while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings.

Matz allowed three runs, nine hits and no walks while striking out five in five innings.

NOTES: The Athletics recalled RHP Frankie Montas and 3B Matt Olson from Triple-A Nashville and signed 1B Chris Carter to a minor league contract. ... Mets 2B Neil Walker (left hamstring) ran the bases before the game and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday.