Mets blast past Braves, increase lead in NL East

Francisco Lindor hit a three-run home run, one of three homers surrendered by Atlanta’s Charlie Morton, and the visiting New York Mets defeated the Braves 7-3 in the rubber match of a three-games series Wednesday.

Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha added solo shots for the Mets, and right-hander Chris Bassitt (7-6) shut out the Braves through five innings before Matt Olson led off the sixth with his 15th homer.

Bassitt went six innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out six. He threw 99 pitches.

The win pushed the Mets’ lead over the second-place Braves back to 2½ games in the NL East.

The three home runs allowed were a season worst for Morton (5-4), who took his first loss since May 3. In five-plus innings, he surrendered five runs, six hits and three walks while striking out six. He threw 107 pitches, also a season high.

The Mets, who got on the board in the second inning on Escobar’s 10th homer of the season, padded the lead in the third. Tomas Nido drew a leadoff walk and Brandon Nimmo singled, setting up Lindor’s 16th home run to make it 4-0.

The blast also raised Lindor’s RBI total to 64, one more than he had all of last season, his first with the Mets.

Lindor added a strong defensive play to get Bassitt out of a jam in the fourth inning. With runners on second and third and two outs, Lindor made a long throw from deep in the hole at short to get Adam Duvall at first.

The Mets added two runs (one earned) in the seventh off reliever Jesse Chavez on Luis Guillorme’s RBI double and a balk by Chavez that let Lindor score.

Atlanta’s Austin Riley launched his team-leading 25th homer in the eighth, and Eddie Rosario hit his second of the season in the ninth. Rosario finished with three hits, and Riley had two. Nimmo had two hits and scored twice for the Mets.

Braves closer Kenley Jansen, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday after treatment for an irregular heartbeat, worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

Robinson Cano’s single in the bottom of the seventh was his first hit in two games for the Braves since he was acquired from the San Diego Padres for cash on Sunday.