The Mets learned to walk but never figured out how to run.

Or, more precisely, how to score a run.

A lineup missing late scratch Francisco Lindor drew seven walks against pitcher Charlie Morton in the first four innings Friday night but couldn’t break through and ultimately paid the price in a listless 7-0 series-opening loss to the Braves at Citi Field. 

“It’s pretty hard [to get] nine walks and seven hits and not score a run,” seemingly baffled manager Buck Showalter said, citing the Mets’ nine-inning totals. “It’s pretty obvious we had people out there and couldn’t get a hit in those situations. That’s kind of Morton. We didn’t put a lot of good swings on him when we had people on base.”

Daniel Vogelbach struck out with two runners on base to end the first inning, Danny Mendick hit into a double play and Brandon Nimmo flied out both with two runners on in the second, Vogelbach struck out again and Mark Vientos popped out to strand two runners in the third, and Francisco Alvarez followed the Mets’ sixth and seventh walks drawn by flying out to right field.

Vogelbach left two more runners on to end the seventh and was booed by an announced crowd of 37,339.

The fans stayed for the postgame fireworks shows — and to boo Vogelbach even louder both before and after he struck out for the fourth time to mercifully end the game.

Lindor was scratched from the starting lineup with right side soreness, ending his streak of 223 consecutive games played.

Morton entered the game with a 7.32 ERA and 15 walks and 22 hits allowed over 19 ²/₃ innings in losing each of his last four starts.

The wildness continued, but the Mets — starting five batters who have spent time at Triple-A this season — let Morton off the hook as he labored through five scoreless innings on 105 pitches.

“I got away with a lot,” Morton said. “There were some quick outs on some pitches that weren’t great. I started to feel my arm slot and delivery a little bit more toward the end but by then it had already been a really sloppy outing.”

It was an uncharacteristically rough night in center field for Nimmo.

Hitting with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fourth, Eddie Rosario broke a scoreless tie with a two-RBI single.

The ball bounced away from Nimmo and allowed a third run to score.

The Braves already had extended their lead to 5-0 before Rosario stroked a RBI double that was assisted by Nimmo’s strange route and slightly early jump.

That was the final batter faced by Tylor Megill, who allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits in 5 ¹/₃ innings.

“Facing one of the best lineups in the league, you have to be on your game every pitch,” Megill said. “What they do is hit mistakes — and that’s what they did.”

Austin Riley homered for the only blemish on Jimmy Yacabonis’ line in 3 ²/₃ innings of relief.

By the end, Showalter was reduced to lamenting that the Mets couldn’t fall behind by eight runs so he would be allowed by MLB rule to use a position player to pitch and save the bullpen with a doubleheader on tap Saturday.