WASHINGTON -- Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo met the media Sunday morning to talk about the knee injury to Adam Eaton that could sideline the Washington center fielder for the rest of the season.

"We think we have the offense to compensate for Adam," Rizzo said.

A few hours later, he looked clairvoyant.

The first-place Nationals set several franchise records in a 23-5 victory over the New York Mets as they salvaged the series finale with a 23-hit onslaught that included seven homers.

Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon went 6-for-6 with three home runs and a career-high 10 RBIs. He set a Montreal/Washington franchise record for RBIs in a game. Matt Wieters added two homers, and Ryan Zimmerman had three hits and two RBIs, giving him a team record 29 RBIs in April.

"That was ridiculous," struggling Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross said of the reserved Rendon. "It is pretty ridiculous. He is swinging it."

The Nationals scored at least 10 runs for the fourth time in less than a week. Washington set a franchise record for runs and homers in a game.

"A hit parade," Washington manager Dusty Baker said. "A big day for us."

Rendon said, "It was fun to see."

It wasn't much fun for Mets manager Terry Collins, who was livid when asked if he was upset to see starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard leave in the second inning with a possible right lat strain.

"You think? What do you think?" he hollered at a reporter who inferred that Collins seemed upset with the Syndergaard injury. "Certainly it was something we didn't need to see. It is big."

The Mets' ace right-hander headed back to New York to get an MRI, something he refused to do a few days ago after he was scratched from his start on Thursday in Atlanta against the Braves with a tired arm.

"We have no misgivings at all about making the start," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "We asked him how he felt (before pitching Sunday). He said he felt fine. We took him at face value.

"But he also threw a (bullpen session Friday). He was good to go. I expect he will have another pitcher here tomorrow )if Syndergaard goes on the disabled list)."

Collins pointed out that Syndergaard's fastball hit 100 mph on the stadium radar gun in the first inning.

"We could tell something was wrong with Syndergaard," Baker said. "(His fastball) wasn't moving like usual. You don't want to see anyone hurt."

It was the first multi-homer game in the career of Rendon, who entered the day with five RBIs. He set a career high with the six hits and lifted his average from .226 to .278.

Rendon had a two-run single in the first inning, a solo homer in the third, a three-run homer in the fourth, a three-run double in the fifth and a solo homer in the eighth off Kevin Plawecki, normally a catcher.

The major league record for RBIs in a game is 12, shared by Jim Bottomley and Mark Whiten.

The Nationals are the first team in MLB history to score at least 14 runs five times in April, according to STATS, LLC.

Syndergaard (1-2) left his start in the second inning while pitching to Bryce Harper. He gave up five hits and five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings, with two walks, a wild pitch and two strikeouts.

The winning pitcher was Matt Albers (1-0), who threw two scoreless innings. Ross gave up five runs in four innings.

Plawecki came on to pitch in the seventh, and the first batter he faced was Rafael Bautista, who flied out to center in his first major league at-bat. The catcher-turned-pitcher later gave up homers to Harper and Adam Lind in the eighth.

But the day belonged to Rendon, who had just one RBI in April 2016.

"It couldn't happen to a finer guy," Baker said. "He finished extremely strong this April."

NOTES: Washington CF Adam Eaton has an ACL tear in his left leg, and he likely will miss the rest of the season, general manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday. "His return to this season is unlikely, but we don't know until the doctors get in there and we'll see what the surgery leads us to believe," Rizzo said. "It's a big piece of our team that's been taken from us, but we can't dwell on that." ... Mets RHP Robert Gsellman (0-2, 6.23 ERA) will face Braves RHP Julio Teheran (2-1, 3.38) on Monday in Atlanta. ... Washington RHP Tanner Roark (3-0, 3.64) will pitch at home Tuesday against Arizona Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (3-1, 3.94).