Juan Soto, a Mets outfielder, ended an 18-game home run drought on Saturday afternoon by hitting a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves.
The ball traveled 420 feet and was clocked at 109.5 mph off the bat, despite being hit into a strong headwind blowing out to right field. This was Soto’s first homer since May 9, an impressive feat given his recent struggles at the plate, where he had been hitting just .143 with two extra-base hits in his previous 17 games.
Soto signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract last year but has faced criticism from Mets fans due to his slow start this season. After the game, Soto remarked, "I received loud cheers from fans as I rounded the bases after hitting my home run." Fans showed their appreciation by cheering loudly, and Soto raised both hands in appreciation during his trot around the bases.
The crowd erupted into cheers when Soto reached base safely for only the second time since May 9. This energy carried over into the next inning when Pete Alonso homered off Atlanta starter Bryce Elder, giving New York its first lead of the day.
New York went on to win the game behind strong pitching from Max Scherzer, who allowed one earned run over six innings while striking out eight batters and walking none. In addition to Alonso’s homer, Brandon Nimmo also homered for New York, while Michael Harris II had three hits for Atlanta, including two doubles.
Game Highlights
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Atlanta’s Early Lead:
- Michael Harris II doubled, scoring Ronald Acuña Jr., who had singled earlier in the inning.
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New York’s Response:
- Nimmo doubled off Elder, scoring Jeff McNeil, who had singled earlier in the frame.
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Atlanta Regains Lead:
- Vaughn Grissom doubled off Scherzer, scoring Harris II, who walked earlier in the frame.
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New York Takes Lead Again:
- Alonso’s homer gave him a team-high nine this season.
Other MLB Action
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Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants despite being down by three runs entering the final three innings.
- They scored two runs in the ninth on consecutive singles by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, followed by a sacrifice fly from Trayce Thompson.
- A walk-off single from Will Smith secured their third walk-off win of the season.
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Chicago Cubs triumphed over the Cincinnati Reds with a strong pitching performance from Justin Steele, who allowed no earned runs over seven innings.
- The Cubs’ offense was powered by a solo homer from Seiya Suzuki, leading to a 6-0 victory.
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St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers with Miles Mikolas allowing no earned runs over seven innings.
- The Cardinals scored via solo homers from Nolan Gorman, Paul Goldschmidt, and Jordan Walker.
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Tampa Bay Rays won against the Toronto Blue Jays with Jeffrey Springs allowing no earned runs over six innings.
- The Rays’ offense was led by Yandy Diaz, while the Blue Jays managed to score late with a sac fly from Vladimir Guerrero Jr..
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