ATLANTA — The Mets will tell you that hitting is contagious, and it’s hard to argue that after the first two nights in Atlanta.

One night after the Mets ignited for 21 hits to match a season high, they drilled six home runs, including two apiece from Jeff McNeil and Mark Vientos, to storm off with another victory over the Braves.

For the majority of the game, McNeil’s three-run home run sustained the Mets until they tagged three long balls in the seventh inning and added two more in the ninth to throttle the Braves, 9-2, in front of 39,738 fans on Saturday night at Truist Park.

“We’re swinging the bat well,” McNeil said. “We’re not missing pitches and I feel like we have some good plans up there in driving the ball and stringing together those innings. Those big innings are huge.”

It was the second straight encouraging performance from the Mets, who grabbed their first series victory in four tries against the Braves. They improved to 69-60 and held serve in the National League East with the Phillies, who claimed a win over the Nationals, and extended their lead for the final Wild Card spot to 2.5 games over the Reds.

“At this point, every series, every team, every game is going to be important,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Our job is to go out there and win as many games as possible. We gotta win series. We gotta chance to sweep these guys tomorrow and that’s the mentality: one game at a time.

“But it’s good to come in here, especially after a couple of tough losses in D.C., to bounce back and play well the past couple of nights.”

Jeff McNeil delivers encouraging sign in return to lineup

For the Mets’ previous two games entering, McNeil had been on the bench, nursing a sore right shoulder.

He pinch-hit on Thursday but struck out looking in his lone at-bat before finding a spot in left field. He remained in a reserve role during the Mets’ convincing 12-7 win on Friday night. The injury has hampered McNeil more throwing than swinging, and he proved that on Saturday night.

“It feels good, it’s just something we have to stay on top of,” McNeil said. “Definitely was a lot better throwing the ball today. Don’t really feel it all when I swing, so it feels good there.”

In the top of the third inning after the Mets stranded three baserunners in the first two innings, McNeil stepped to the plate with a pair of runners on base and two outs and clobbered a first-pitch cutter from Cal Quantrill onto the second deck of the Chop House in right field. At 420 feet, McNeil’s 11th home run was the second-longest home run of his career and moved the Mets ahead 3-0.

“Huge, especially picking up the two guys in scoring position and they get the two outs there,” said Clay Holmes, who picked up his 11th win. “For them to be able to stop the momentum, it could’ve been a big part of the game there and Jeff, his home run with two outs was, it was just a massive swing.”

In the ninth inning after Vientos tagged his second solo shot, McNeil added his own second blast — No. 12.

Starling Marte helps in explosive seventh inning

Through six innings, it looked that the Mets would be faced with another jittery conclusion to a game in Atlanta.

The heart of the Mets’ lineup put that out of mind in the top of the seventh inning against Dylan Lee. After Juan Soto drew a leadoff walk, Pete Alonso tagged a towering two-run home run – his 29th of the season – inside the right-field foul pole.

In the next at-bat, Mark Vientos blasted a 414-foot solo shot onto the Hank Aaron terrace in left field to build the Mets’ advantage to 6-2. And two batters later, Starling Marte ripped the Mets’ third home run of the inning into the first row in left field.

“You need that as a team, offensively, you got to continue to add on,” Mendoza said. “I feel like controlling the strike zone, making better swing decisions and then picking each other up.

Marte had one of the best offensive nights for the Mets, finishing 3-for-3 with a bunt single, two stolen bases and an RBI. He added a sterling defensive play in left field in the third inning, throwing out Nacho Alvarez at home on a sharp line drive to left field.

“We’ve been playing the brand of baseball that we know we’re capable of playing,” Marte said. “We’ve been aggressive on the base paths. We’re being aggressive on pitches in the zone. And when that’s able to happen and that’s able to click for us, we’re able to show the type of team that we’re capable of being.”

Clay Holmes gives Mets another quality start

Maybe offense is not the only aspect of the game that is contagious for the Mets.

Entering Friday night, the Mets had gone 62 games without anyone other than David Peterson completing six innings or more. On Saturday night after Nolan McLean’s seven strong innings, Clay Holmes was able to keep the quality going.

For the first time since June 7, Clay Holmes completed more than six innings. He limited the Braves to three hits and two walks while striking out four in 6⅓ innings.

“I was able to force some contact early and kept them swinging,” Holmes said. “I think I stayed in the zone better than I have in the past against these guys and stayed on the attack and I think it forced them to keep swinging. I was able to use a couple other pitches besides just the sinker and I think it kept them off balance.”

Holmes’ lone trouble came in the fourth inning when he issued back-to-back walks to lead off the frame. Jeff McNeil could not throw out Ronald Acuña Jr. at second base on a chopper to the right side. With the bases loaded, Marcell Ozuna sent a sacrifice fly to center field and Drake Baldwin added an RBI on a slow dribbler in front of home plate.

After the fielder’s choice, Holmes recorded 10 straight outs into the seventh inning.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets blast six home runs, throttle Braves for second straight night