Mets 6, Braves 1: Zack Wheeler fired six scoreless innings in his major-league debut and visiting New York blew open the game with a four-run eighth to cap a doubleheader sweep.

Wheeler (1-0), a metro Atlanta native who was promoted to pitch the nightcap, held National League East leader Atlanta to four hits with five walks and seven strikeouts. Anthony Recker’s two-run homer in the seventh snapped a scoreless tie and Marlon Byrd finished with three hits for the Mets.

Atlanta starter Paul Maholm (7-6) surrendered two runs on nine hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Andrelton Simmons went 2-for-2 with two walks and Freddie Freeman walked three times for the Braves, who have lost six of their past nine.

Recker belted a 3-1 Maholm offering well over the center-field fence in the seventh for his second homer to make it 2-0 New York. After the Braves rallied to within 2-1 on Justin Upton’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, the Mets scored four runs in the eighth off reliever Anthony Varvaro.

Varvaro’s pickoff attempt of Byrd at second base sailed into center field, and B.J. Upton overran the ball, allowing Byrd to score and make it 3-1. Juan Lagares singled home a run and Omar Quintanilla’s two-run single pushed the Mets’ advantage to 6-1.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Atlanta placed C/OF Evan Gattis, who leads all major-league rookies with 14 homers, on the disabled list with a strained right oblique. … New York 3B David Wright blooped a single to right in the ninth for his 1,500th career hit. … Wheeler, born on May 30, 1990, became the first player born in the 1990s to appear in a game for New York.