After a week of harsh criticism for his poor offensive performance, Juan Soto got the big hit that allowed the New York Mets to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2. Soto hit a two-run double with the bases loaded to break the 2-2 tie that persisted in the game
In recent days, Soto was on a bad run that began to generate comments about whether the Mets made the right decision to offer him a historic $765 million contract to snatch him from the Yankees, after an exceptional season
Juan Soto’s awakening?
“I don’t hear any of that. I focus on what we’re doing here,” Soto said of the criticism of his performance, but he had been hitting .119 (5-for-42) with runners in scoring position, ranking 164th among 167 qualified hitters, before hitting a 2-2 pitch from Tony Gonsolin. The ball headed for the right-center field wall that allowed the Mets to take a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning.
“I don’t think he’s swinging the bat really well right now and he found a way to square up a couple of baseballs tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He just seems to be more focused when there’s guys on base.”
Soto’s 399-foot hit flew off the bat at 108.3 mph and fell short of a grand slam by approximately two feet.
“When I hit it, I thought, ‘Don’t catch it.’ I didn’t think it was that far,” Soto said. “When it hit the wall, it shocked me. I thought, ‘I didn’t know the ball was that far’.”
Before that, Soto had just one hit in 24 at-bats with runners in scoring position and went 5-for-40 without an extra-base hit and two RBIs in his last 11 games. He also went 1-for-10 with four walks in his first series back in the Bronx, where the Mets lost two of three games last weekend. While one of his hits could not clear the ‘Green Monster’ at Fenway Park in Boston, which intensified the debate about his slow start and the absence of the “Soto Shuffle” in the batter’s box.
Last night, the Mets lost the first game of the series 7-5 in 13 innings and today they were down 2-0, thanks to an RBI single in the second as part of a three-hit, two-RBI night.
Luis Torrens opened the fourth with a single. Gonsolin loaded the bases with four-pitch walks to Baty and Francisco Lindor, and Starling Marte hit an RBI infield single.
Then it was Soto’s turn, who took a slider on the inside corner before the big hit on a 1-2 count
“I think I executed the slider very well. He has a very good eye, he missed by little, but I was satisfied with the execution,” Gonsolin said. “The splitter seemed solid to me, he just elevated it.” Tonight, Soto went 5-2 against the Dodgers, raising his average from .236 to .241 with eight home runs, 23 RBIs and a .792 OPS.
“I don’t know what the underlying numbers say, but this kid has been very unlucky,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It was good to finally see him get the results.”
Thanks to his hit, the fans responded with a great ovation: “He works really hard,” Mets starter David Peterson said. “I think getting it done today should give him confidence, and I think everyone on this team believes in him as a player.”
Marte was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on Soto’s hit when shortstop Mookie Betts made a quick relay to catcher Dalton Rushing from center fielder Tommy Edman’s throw.
Peterson matched his career high of 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits, plus inducing three ground balls for double plays. He struck out Shohei Ohtani three times.
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