Mets' Juan Soto hits 42nd home run in six-run fourth to help club crush Nationals
Mets rightfielder Juan Soto follows through on his three-run home run during the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals on Friday at Citi Field. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Somehow, Juan Soto has lived up to it.
After the hand-wringing of his “slow” start and amid the now-vanquished accusations that he didn’t want to be in Flushing, Soto didn’t buckle under the title of $765 million man, and on Friday, that meant hitting a milestone home run to help the Mets beat the Nationals, 12-6, at Citi Field — a game that allowed them to continue controlling their own destiny with eight to play.
The Mets are two games ahead of the Reds, three ahead of the Diamondbacks and four ahead of the Giants in the battle for the National League’s third wild card.
“This is something else,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re comparing him to some of the greatest players who ever played this game . . . When it was hard for him at the beginning, going through the ups and downs, tough stretches, [there was still] the consistency of the personality, his preparation, he never panicked. [And] the impact that he has there with the boys, that, for me, is what makes him who he is. [He’s a] special guy, special player. It’s pretty unbelievable what he’s doing.”
The Mets, who trailed by three runs after the top of the third, scored six times in the fourth, capped by Soto’s career-high 42nd homer, a three-run shot.
He scored two runs, walked twice and stole a base, putting his season totals at 103 RBIs, 117 runs, a career-high 34 stolen bases and a major league-leading 121 walks.
He’s one of three players to collect at least 40 homers, 30 stolen bases, 100 RBIs and 100 walks, joining Jeff Bagwell and Barry Bonds. Only four players have hit at least 40 homers and driven in at least 100 runs in their first year with a New York team, according to SNY: Babe Ruth, Jason Giambi, Pete Alonso and Soto (twice).
It means “a lot,” Soto said. “A lot of hard work put in day in and day out . . . I think it’s great whenever they mention my name around some Hall of Famers and guys that played this game for a long time. I’m really proud to be part of it.”
The Mets trailed 4-1 before scoring a run in the third and sixth in the fourth, highlighted by Francisco Lindor’s go-ahead RBI single.
Brandon Sproat, making his third major-league start, wasn’t sharp, but his four innings of four-run ball were enough against a Nationals team seemingly intent on beating itself — underlined by three errors.
Six Mets relievers finished the job, allowing two runs in five innings, highlighted by Ryan Helsley. After a dreadful start to his tenure as a Met, he hasn’t allowed a hit in consecutive appearances.
The Mets were up 1-0 when their defense buckled in the third. Sproat walked Paul DeJong to lead off the inning and Jorge Alfaro’s swinging bunt died on the grass near the third-base line. Sproat’s throw was very hard and very wide and caromed off the wall and into rightfield, allowing DeJong to score.
The Nationals scored another run on CJ Abrams’ double before things got messy again. Josh Bell hit a fly ball to center that Jose Siri appeared to catch on the run, but he didn’t squeeze his glove. The ball skipped out and Abrams scored. When the next batter, Daylen Lile, hit another long fly ball to right-center, Siri took a bad route for a run-scoring triple and a 4-1 Nationals lead.
Sproat, largely working without his four-seamer — which he threw only three times in 71 pitches — allowed the four runs and four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in four innings.
More bad defense got the Mets within 4-2 in the third. With Lindor on first and two outs, Dylan Crews misplayed Soto’s single and Pete Alonso delivered an RBI single.
Then came that breakout fourth inning, keyed by (you guessed it) . . . bad defense.
Brandon Nimmo singled and Starling Marte hit a very slow chopper toward third that DeJong simply failed to charge, apparently thinking Marte had fouled it off himself. Francisco Alvarez’s double drove in two runs.
Lindor eventually doubled home Alvarez and, with two on and one out, Soto hammered PJ Poulin’s hanging sweeper to center to put the Mets up 8-4.
He has “an ability at the plate to make really, really good pitchers just look average,” Nimmo said. “I continue to be in awe of it as a peer of his and know how hard it is and how easy he makes it look . . . He hits those home runs with such ease. It’s really fun to watch.”
What’s surprised him about Soto? “Nothing,” Nimmo said. “You’re just seeing exactly who he is.”
The $765 Million Man who, in his first year, is fitting the bill.
Notes & quotes: Kodai Senga’s poor minor-league outing Thursday has obstructed his path to a potential Mets playoff roster spot. Mendoza said Senga will have to face live batters again before they even think of his next steps.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
