Braves sweep the Mets

New York — After a three-game wipeout of the New York Mets, the Atlanta Braves were flying — and not just because they were heading home.

The first-place Braves — that's right, the NL East-leading Braves — just might be starting to convince a jaded fan base to believe again.

Julio Teheran took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning , 20-year-old Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his second big league home run and a 11-0 rout Thursday completed a 7-3 trip that vaulted the young Braves atop their division.

Players and manager Brian Snitker were looking ahead to a weekend series against San Francisco at SunTrust Park, where just two of the first 12 home games sold out this season.

"I think they're going to be pumped. I think they'll be rockin' tomorrow night," Snitker said. "After the road trip we had, the style, the way these guys are playing — I mean, they're leaving it out there every night."

Kurt Suzuki , Acuna and Nick Markakis homered as the Braves built a 6-0 lead by the fifth inning against Jason Vargas (0-2), and 21-year-old Ozzie Albies went deep off an equally shaky Matt Harvey in a five-run seventh.

Atlanta has won five in a row and opened a 1½-game division lead, the latest in a season the Braves have been in first place since July 20, 2014.

Atlanta outscored the Mets 21-2 in the series and outhit them 41-15, pitching consecutive shutouts for the first time since the final three games of 2015 against St. Louis.

Harvey made his fourth relief appearance after losing his starting spot and gave up Albies' three-run homer in a five-run seventh.

"There's some positives out of today other than obviously the numbers," Harvey said. "Still trying to figure out the workout schedules and the throwing programs and all that stuff to be ready."

Trainer's room

Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom is on track to take his next turn in the rotation Monday at Cincinnati after a scan and examination determined no major injury occurred when he hyperextended his pitching elbow while batting Wednesday.