PARTY TIME: Mets catcher Josh Thole rushes to embrace Johan Santana after the Mets’ lefty threw the first no-hitter in franchise history last night at Citi Field against the Cardinals. (Getty Images)
The curse lives no more.
At 9:48 p.m. last night, Johan Santana uncoiled his body one last time and landed in uncharted territory for a Mets pitcher in the franchise’s previous 8,019 games.
It became official as last year’s World Series MVP, David Freese, waved at a full-count changeup, setting off a wild celebration near the pitcher’s mound as the Mets celebrated Santana and an 8-0 victory over the Cardinals before 27,069 at Citi Field.
“We worked very hard — all the things we have gone through that I have been through,” said Santana, who missed all of last season recovering from surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. “This is very special and I know this means a lot to New York.”
It took Santana 134 pitches, leaving manager Terry Collins with mixed emotions as the innings progressed. Collins before the game had put a 115-pitch limit on his ace lefty, but ultimately let Santana make the call on staying in the game.
“I’m very excited for him, but if in five days his arm is bothering him I’m not going to feel very good,” an emotional Collins said, choking back tears. “You just don’t jeopardize the whole organization, this season, for one inning, so we’ll wait five days and see how it is.”
Santana said the conversation with Collins occurred after the seventh inning.
“[Collins] came over to me when I was sitting in the dugout and he told me that I was his hero and that was the end of it,” Santana said. “I told him I was not coming out of the game.”
Afterward, Santana made an impromptu speech to his teammates.
“I thanked them because we as a team made history tonight,” Santana said.
Matt Holliday hit a broken-bat blooper to center that was gloved by Andres Torres for the first out in the ninth. Allen Craig then flied out to Kirk Nieuwenhuis in left. The count went full to Freese, who then swung and missed a changeup for Santana’s eighth strikeout. Santana, who recorded his first career no-hitter, also walked five.
Mike Baxter kept the dream alive by making a lunging catch on Yadier Molina’s line drive in the seventh before hitting the left-field fence at full force. Baxter, with his left arm stabilized, was helped from the field by trainer Ray Ramirez. Baxter was diagnosed with a left shoulder contusion and will likely have an MRI exam today.
“I’m glad I had a chance to be a part of that,” Baxter, a Queens native, said. “It’s a great night for the Mets and I’m glad I was on the field for it.”
Santana’s no-hit watch intensified in the sixth. Carlos Beltran hit a shot that was called foul by third base umpire Adrian Johnson, but replays showed the ball hit the foul line behind third base. After Beltran was retired on a ground out, third base coach Jose Oquendo argued Johnson’s previous call, but by then was much too late.
The Mets broke the game open with three runs in the eighth, highlighted by Daniel Murphy’s two-run single that made it 8-0.
Lucas Duda’s three-run homer in the sixth against Adam Wainwright gave the Mets a 5-0 cushion. The homer was Duda’s third in two games, extending his team’s lead to eight.
Soon all eyes turned to Santana, who said he first became aware of the no-hitter around the sixth. He was later asked if he had thrown a no-hitter at any level in his baseball career.
“I don’t even think I’ve thrown a no-hitter in video games,” Santana said. “This is the first time I had an opportunity.”
mike.puma@nypost.com