CINCINNATI -- New York Mets first baseman Lucas Duda is heating up at the right time.

Duda slugged a pair of three-run homers and finished with a career-high six RBIs as the New York Mets posted a 12-5 win against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Duda entered the series hitting .171 with two RBIs in 14 games since returning from a herniated disk. In two games against the Reds, he is 4-for-7 with four extra-base hits, a walk and six RBIs.

“You know how hard this guy works to get ready to play,” manager Terry Collins said. “He got real frustrated last week when he wasn’t swinging the bat [well]. He came out for two days early and took another 40 swings extra, which is something we’re accustomed to him doing. But it helps him. It helps him relax. It helps him feel better. And we’re seeing the results.”

Said Duda: “I always tend to work a lot, I guess, just because I like to. I think the timing is coming back.”

For the last several weeks, Collins has used a righty-heavy lineup against left-handed pitching, with starters including Michael Cuddyer, Juan Lagares, Juan Uribe and even Eric Campbell. That’s about to change when the Mets face Reds southpaw John Lamb on Saturday. Cuddyer will still start over Michael Conforto in left field, according to Collins. But Duda will be in the lineup. Lefty hitters Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy figure to be in there too.

The Mets should see left-handers Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood in the Division Series against the Dodgers, so it’s time to get the team’s top bats in the lineup against southpaws to prepare -- even if those players are lefty hitters. Duda’s second three-run homer on Friday came against left-handed reliever Tony Cingrani.

“We’ve got to realize we aren’t going to have all of those right-handed hitters if we get into the postseason,” Collins said. “We’ve got to get some lefties in there and let them see some left-handed pitching. So I think you’ll see some lefties in there tomorrow.”