#Mets bust out in blowout win over Braves

The Mets rotation got healthier Saturday night, with Taijuan Walker returning and continuing to dominate like he did before he joined the crowded injured list.

The Mets lineup remained beat-up, but the rag-tag group of hitters and two underperforming stars came together for an offensive explosion anyway.

Walker delivered five shutout innings and the bats took care of the rest, teeing off on the Braves for five home runs in their fourth straight win, 13-2, on a chilly night at Citi Field.

James McCann led the charge with a four-hit effort, adding two RBIs and two runs while falling a triple short of the cycle. The first baseman hit the Mets’ first home run of the game and Francisco Lindor crushed the last — an encouraging performance for the two big offseason acquisitions who have largely struggled to begin the season.

Jonathan Villar, Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney also homered for the Mets, who piled up a season-high 13 runs on 13 hits to turn a tight game early into a laugher.

Walker, meanwhile, picked up where he left off by striking out eight and allowing just three baserunners while lowering his ERA to 1.84 through nine starts.

The Mets (25-20) extended their lead atop the NL East, now leading both the Braves (24-26) and Phillies by a season-high 3.5 games. Between injuries and a lack of production from their stars, little has gone according to plan so far for the Mets, and yet their strong pitching has largely been the backbone for their claim to the top spot in the division.