Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: The Mets still haven’t thrown a no-hitter in their 50-year franchise history (7,971 games), but they swept the Braves on Sunday afternoon and improved to 3-0 on the young season.

Jon Niese took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. But after Dan Uggla walked following a 10-pitch at-bat, Freddie Freeman grounded a single through the right side of the infield on the left-hander’s 99th pitch of the game. Prior to the walk to Uggla, Niese (1-0) had retired 15 straight batters.

His line: 6 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 SO; 102 pitches (66 strikes)

Niese, who got a nose job and a five-year, $25.5 million contract extension that could be worth up to $46 million in the offseason, was making his first start since Aug. 23, 2011, when he suffered a season-ending intercostal strain of his right side.

The Mets are off to their best start since 2007, when they began the year by winning four straight. New closer Frank Francisco saved all three games.

OFF THE SCHNEID: After going hitless in his first two games, leadoff man Ruben Tejada had a career-high four of them on Sunday to go along with two RBIs and two runs scored. The shortstop brought the claw back after ripping a two-out, two-run double in the sixth that gave the Mets a 7-0 lead.

ON THE BOARD: The Mets bullpen had gone 8 1/3 innings without giving up a run before Brian McCann took Manny Acosta deep with one out in the eighth.

INCHING CLOSER: David Wright’s first-inning sacrifice fly moved him to within five RBIs of tying Darryl Strawberry’s franchise record (733).

Ike Davis is now the only Mets regular who has yet to record a hit this season (0-for-11).

MURPH DOG: Daniel Murphy had two doubles, including a two-out, two-run two-bagger down the third-base line that gave the Mets a 4-0 lead in the fifth.

UP NEXT: Mike Pelfrey makes his first start of the season against Washington right-hander Edwin Jackson on Monday night at Citi Field.