WASHINGTON — One team’s train wreck was another’s historic day.

By the time Sunday’s game ended, the Nationals had established a team record for runs scored in a game (23), homers (seven), three of which were hit by Anthony Rendon, who became the first major league player with a 10-RBI game since Garret Anderson in 2007.

It got so bad for the Mets — who lost Noah Syndergaard to a possible lat strain in the 23-5 loss at Nationals Park — that backup catcher Kevin Plawecki was enlisted to pitch the final two innings.

Plawecki, who had last pitched when he was 14 years old, was notified in the sixth inning he might be needed. He entered in the seventh and got three straight outs, but it got messy in the eighth. In the inning, Bryce Harper, Adam Lind and Rendon all homered to complete the onslaught.

“I threw a lot of strikes, I was happy with that,” Plawecki said. “I used the whole ballpark the first inning and got out of it and the second inning I left a couple up.”

The 23 runs surrendered by the Mets were the second-highest total in franchise history. The record is 26, against the Phillies on June 11, 1985.

Sean Gilmartin, Fernando Salas and Josh Smoker were used behind Syndergaard before Plawecki was summoned, in an effort to preserve the remainder of the bullpen.

“Those guys have been working their butts off, they are a little bit tired, so you go out there and eat two innings on a day like today where it got out of hand a little bit, you are happy to do it,” Plawecki said.

Though the scoreboard indicated he had mixed in several knuckleballs, Plawecki said that wasn’t the case — he was throwing all fastballs. His main goal was survival.

“Honestly, every pitch I was trying to be in a good fielder’s position, just in case there was something hit back at me,” Plawecki said. “But I was just trying to throw strikes.”