ATLANTA — It was still early enough that anything could happen, but Francisco Lindor’s rocket of a home run into the right-field seats in the third inning Wednesday screamed “ballgame.”

The barrage was on. By the time the game had concluded, the Mets had hit three homers and had defeated the Braves 7-3 at Truist Park to win this series against their charging NL East rival.

Lindor stepped up most in the series, crushing his three-run shot off Charlie Morton a day after driving in the Mets’ only run in a 4-1 loss. Two nights earlier, he delivered three hits in the Mets’ other victory in the series. The Mets departed with a 2 ½-game lead over the Braves in the NL East.

With his three RBIs, Lindor has 64 for the season and already has surpassed his 2021 total of 63.

“I’m healthier,” Lindor said. “I am helping the team a little bit more than I did last year. At this point last year I was probably hitting .190 [actually .225]. God is good and my teammates are amazing. My coaches are great, and I have a good support system that is helping me day in and day out.”

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Manager Buck Showalter has come to expect such production from his shortstop, who owns a .244/.317/.433 slash line.

“He’s been stepping up all year regardless of who we are playing,” Showalter said. “Very quietly he’s had a solid [first half]. I know his batting average in his mind or in some people’s isn’t where he wants it to be, but that’s picky. He’s playing shortstop consistently well.”

The Mets (55-34) won without Jeff McNeil (paternity leave) and Starling Marte (left groin tightness) in the lineup. Luis Guillorme was inserted into the cleanup spot for the first time in his career and finished 1-for-4 with an RBI double.

The Braves and Mets will resume play against each other Aug. 4 at Citi Field — five games over four days are scheduled. Plus, the Mets still have two trips to Atlanta remaining this season.

“These games are awesome to win because it kind of widens the gap a little bit,” Chris Bassitt said. “But it doesn’t mean a ton in the long run because I would say the most important games are at the end of the year. It helps us in the standings, but the next game, against Chicago, is just as important as today’s game.”

Bassitt delivered maybe his best performance in a Mets uniform, considering the opponent, by allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings. The start was Bassitt’s first since June 14 against an opponent other than the Marlins, whom he faced three straight times.

The right-hander received a boost from Lindor, who ranged deep into the hole in the fourth and threw a strike to first base to nail Adam Duvall for the final out with two runners on base.

“That was fun,” Lindor said. “I like making plays like that and helping the pitcher.”

Eduardo Escobar blasted a two-out homer in the second inning to give the Mets their first run. The 426-foot shot to right field was Escobar’s 10th homer of the season and first since his string of three straight games with a homer from July 1-3. Escobar entered the day with a paltry .616 OPS for July.

After Tomas Nido walked and Brandon Nimmo singled to begin the third inning, Lindor hit a towering homer to right field that extended the Mets’ lead to 4-0. Lindor, who earlier this week graded himself with a “B” for the first half, will head into the final series before the All-Star break with 16 homers.

Mark Canha homered leading off the sixth and Dominic Smith’s ensuing walk ended Morton’s afternoon. In his worst start since April, the veteran right-hander allowed five earned runs on seven hits over five-plus innings.

Bassitt wasn’t touched until the sixth, when Matt Olson homered for the second straight game and pulled the Braves within 5-1. A night earlier, the game had turned on Olson’s two-run blast against David Peterson in the sixth inning, which sent the Braves toward their lone victory in the series.

Guillorme got the run back in the seventh with an RBI double — on the ninth pitch of an at-bat against Jesse Chavez — to give the Mets a 6-1 lead. Before the inning was complete, Chavez had balked in Lindor from third base. Lindor had reached on an Olson error after Nimmo’s leadoff single.

“I’m happy I am contributing to the team,” Lindor said. “I came here to win ball games. However, we’re still not done: We have got a long way to go.”