Soto Strikes Twice For First Dingers At Citi Field

 

Juan Soto at home plate after rounding the bases on his first home run. Photo by Jason Schott.

Juan Soto gave the Mets fans the moment they were waiting for at a crowded Citi Field on Thursday afternoon - and then he did it again.

The Mets were trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, and they had only one hit to that point against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen.

With one out after Francisco Lindor struck out to open the frame, Soto came to the plate.

The Mets right fielder took a cutter for strike one, and then he tore into one to left-center field that cleared the fence for his fourth home run of the season - and first at Citi Field.

It was the right moment, as this was the Mets' 16th home game - don't want this to drag out any more - and it gave the Mets a spark.

Soto took it the other way because, by this point in the afternoon, the heavy breeze was going towards left field, with the pennant banners in right field easily readable.

Juan Soto rounding third base on his sixth inning homer. Photo by Jason Schott.

Arizona got that run back in the top of the seventh when Geraldo Perdomo crushed a solo shot off Mets reliever Max Kranick to make it 3-1.

It was still that score in the bottom of the eighth, with Lindor once again leading off, but this time against Arizona reliever Kevin Ginkel, and just as he did in the sixth, he struck out.

Soto was up again, and this time, the wind was still blowing, but only at the upper reaches of the stadium, not the lower pennant banners.

That only made it go further, as Soto crushed it into the grandstand in left center field (the first one went in the party deck) for his second home run of the day.

Juan Soto rounding first base on his second home run. Photo by Jason Schott.

These homers gave Soto five on the season, with 14 RBI, and he bumped his average up to .252. Since he also had a walk in the third inning, his on-base percentage went to .379, which is 127 points higher than his average, which is pretty much what he has done his whole career. The home runs also bumped his slugging percentage to .443, and his OPS (on-base + slugging %) to .822.

Pete Alonso then drew a walk before Jesse Winker crushed a double to left field to give the Mets runners at second and third base with only one out.

Mark Vientos was up next, and he struck out swinging, and then Brandon Nimmo, who had nine RBI on Monday in Washington, was up next, but he also struck out to end the frame.

Just as happened after Soto's first home run, Arizona got the run right back, as Tim Tawa opened the ninth with a home run to left center field (guess they could see the flags blowing too) off Mets reliever Reed Garrett to make it 4-2 Diamondbacks, which would be the final.

Kodai Senga took the loss for the Mets to fall to 3-2, with a 1.38 earned run average (ERA), as he went four innings, and allowed one run (earned) on five hits and three walks, while striking out six.

The reason he only went four innings was he had already thrown 87 pitches, and the fourth inning was laborious. 

Senga opened it by walking Josh Naylor, then Eugenio Suarez grounded into a force out, as he beat out the throw from second baseman Jeff McNeil on a possible double play.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then singled, followed by a hit from Alek Thomas that brought Suarez in to make it 1-0.

After Thomas reached second on a throwing error by McNeil - trying to get Gurriel Jr. at third - Tawa drew a walk to load the bases.

Senga then got Jose Herrera to pop out to third base for the second out. 

The lineup then turned over to Corbin Carroll, who crushed one to left field, but Nimmo hauled it in at the fence, preventing a grand slam that would have blown the game open. 

Arizona then got a run in the fifth when Pavin Smith drew a walk, and after a Naylor double, came in to score on a Suarez sacrifice fly that made it 2-0 ahead of Soto’s first home run.

The Diamondbacks (17-14) took two of three in the series, just as they did when they came to New York in early April at Yankee Stadium.

This was just the third series loss of the season for the Mets (21-11), and first since the series in Minnesota April 14-16. They have just lost three home games, as their record at Citi Field is 13-3.