Braves 13, Mets 5: Freddie Freeman drove in five runs in the first two innings and Jordan Schafer finished with four hits and three stolen bases as host Atlanta cruised in the series opener.

Freeman laced a two-run first-inning double and a three-run second-inning homer off New York starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-3) as Atlanta built a 6-1 lead after two innings. Seven Braves recorded multiple hits and Justin Upton scored three times as Atlanta won for the seventh time in its past eight games, extending its National League East lead over Washington to 15 games.

Paul Maholm (10-10) won for the first time in six starts, allowing three runs on six hits in five innings. Matsuzaka surrendered six runs on seven hits in three innings.

Freeman’s first-inning double scored Schafer and Upton, but Matsuzaka’s RBI-single pulled the Mets within 2-1 in the second. Schafer drove home Andrelton Simmons in the second, and later in the frame Freeman plated Schafer and Upton with his 18th homer, a towering shot to right to make it 6-1.

Simmons drove in three runs as the Braves went 8-for-20 with runners in scoring position. Josh Satin went 2-for-5 for New York, which has lost eight of its past 12.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Mets played Sunday night against Washington, arriving at their Atlanta hotel just before 4 a.m. Monday, nine hours before first pitch. … Schafer left the game with a lower back strain in the seventh; the team listed him as day-to-day. ... Chris Johnson posted his 44th multi-hit game of the season, improving his NL-leading batting average to .334.