ATLANTA -- Like a bloop single for a slumping hitter, Charlie Morton’s seven-walk performance against the Mets on Friday proved to be just what the ailing Braves’ rotation needed.

Morton escaped that uniquely effective outing, and it marked the first of four scoreless efforts the Braves have received from their starters within their past six games. The latest was constructed by Bryce Elder, who combined with A.J. Minter and Kirby Yates for a one-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over the Yankees on Tuesday night at Truist Park.

“I told [Elder], ‘You look like your old self again,’” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Good for him to fight through things and have a game like that.”

This was the first time the Braves allowed one or fewer hits over nine scoreless innings or more since Julio Teheran threw a one-hit shutout against the Mets on June 19, 2016. Atlanta’s most recent combined one-hit shutout was produced by Matt Wisler and Arodys Vizcaino on May 3, 2016.

Elder struck out three and walked three over seven scoreless. The Yankees’ only hit was DJ LeMahieu’s one-out single that fell in front of center fielder Michael Harris II in the second. The Braves right-hander responded by making Harrison Bader the first of his three ground-ball double play victims.

This outing was similar to the ones Elder produced when he posted a National League-best 2.45 ERA through his first 17 starts of the season. That stretch earned him his first All-Star selection. But he entered Tuesday having produced a 7.94 ERA in 28 1/3 innings over his past six starts, even though a pair of effective starts against the Brewers were completed during this span.

“When you throw a couple of good innings and then throw a couple of bad innings, I don’t want to say it affects my confidence,” Elder said. “It creates a little doubt at times. This week, I said, ‘Forget it. I’m just going to go back to just making one pitch at a time. Whatever the result is, I can live with it, if I’m focused on one pitch at a time.’”

Elder’s support came from Marcell Ozuna, who extended Luis Severino’s first-inning woes with a three-run homer, and Ronald Acuña Jr., who further damaged the Yankees right-hander’s line with a two-out, two-run homer in the fourth. The Braves have hit an MLB-best 231 homers and are on pace to hit 314 home runs, which would be seven more than the AL/NL record set by the 2019 Twins.

Even if you removed Matt Olson’s MLB-leading 43 home runs, the Braves would still lead the Majors in homers.

But as the Braves played .500 ball over the first few weeks after the All-Star break, it was apparent they needed more stability from their starting rotation. They exited Thursday’s loss in Pittsburgh having gone 12-12 while producing MLB’s second-worst starter ERA (6.15) in the second half.

This was a group that included a proven veteran in Morton and two young All-Stars in Spencer Strider and Elder. They had teamed up to help the Braves thrive when Max Fried and Kyle Wright began long injured list stints in May. It was seemingly only a matter of time before something turned the tide.

Nobody expected the turning point being Morton pitching around seven walks and three hits over five scoreless innings against the Mets, but that’s exactly what occurred. During a doubleheader the next day, Allan Winans and Strider both constructed a scoreless effort.

“You keep the line moving offensively,” Snitker said. “I think the same thing can be said with pitching. The guys feed off each other.”

Yonny Chirinos allowed the Mets six runs over 4 2/3 innings on Sunday, but he is very expendable. He might get another start this week, but Michael Soroka, Winans, AJ Smith-Shawver and Jared Shuster are all just as capable of filling the rotation’s fifth spot for the remainder of the season.

The most encouraging starts during this stretch have been completed the past two days. As Fried pitched into the seventh inning on Monday, he shook off more of the rust that he developed as he missed three months with a strained left forearm.

Now, Elder is also feeling some of the renewed confidence that one good outing can bring. If he can regain the consistency he had in the first half, the Braves won’t be worrying about the rotation down the stretch.

“We trust in him,” Ozuna said. “He’s amazing. He was an All-Star already. So he’s a good pitcher.”