Juan Soto does it all in signature night to power Mets in key win to start Nationals series

Juan Soto’s big first season with the Mets added another impressive footnote as his shot to center field in Friday night’s fourth inning carried over the 408-foot sign at Citi Field. 

The Mets had exploded for a huge inning with that three-run blast and Soto established a career high with his 42nd homer of the season. The “MVP” chants followed. 

Soto’s thunder obscured much of the night’s sloppiness by both teams in the Mets’ 12-6 victory over the Nationals. 

The Mets, who won for the fourth time in five games, will certainly take it. Their lead on the Reds remained at two games for the NL’s third and final wild-card spot. The Diamondbacks, who began the night two games behind the Mets, played a later game against the Phillies. 

Soto, already the franchise’s first 40/30 performer (homers and stolen bases) in a season led the attack on this night by reaching base four times, unloading for his homer as part of the Mets’ six-run fourth inning. Soto established his previous career high in homers last season, when he hit 41 for the Yankees. 

“I think it’s been a great season at the end,” Soto said. “I ended up doing really great stuff, but it was a tough stretch at the beginning. I definitely have got to work on that and try to be better and go from there.” 

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Soto’s “consistency of personality” has struck manager Carlos Mendoza the most this season. 

“He never panics,” Mendoza said. “The impact he has there with the boys, that is what makes him who he is. He’s a special guy, a special player. It’s pretty unbelievable what he is doing.” 

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The Mets received strong relief from Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Chris Devenski, who combined on 4 ²/₃ scoreless innings after Huascar Brazobán scuffled behind Brandon Sproat. 

Sproat received no favors defensively in his third major league start and lasted only four innings in which he allowed four earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. The rookie was removed after only 71 pitches, before he could face the top of the Nationals’ batting order for the third time. 

Dylan Crews’ fielding error on Pete Alonso’s single allowed the Mets to score an unearned run in the first. Francisco Lindor singled leading off for the Mets and scored from first as Crews misplayed Alonso’s single. 

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Sloppy defense by the Mets helped the Nationals score four runs in the third. Sproat threw away Jorge Alfaro’s swinging bunt for an error before Jacob Young walked to load the bases. James Wood hit into a double play to tie it 1-1 before C.J. Abrams launched a shot to left-center that hit off Jose Siri’s glove, bringing in two runs. The play, on which Siri covered considerable ground, was originally ruled an error, but got changed to a two-run double. 

Daylen Lile followed with an RBI triple — the ball skipped past Siri in right-center — that extended the Nationals’ lead to 4-1. Sproat finally escaped the inning after throwing 32 pitches. 

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Crews’ second error of the game helped the Mets pull within 4-2 in the third. Lindor drew a two-out walk and reached third when Crews booted Soto’s single. Alonso delivered an RBI single to cut into the Nationals’ lead. 

Francisco Alvarez tied it 4-4 with a two-run double in the fourth, but the Mets were just getting started in the inning. After Brett Baty got plunked, Lindor stroked a single that was booted by the left fielder Wood for a run and Soto’s ensuing three-run blast gave the Mets an 8-4 lead. 

“The best hitters in the league, they do damage when [pitchers] come over the plate and when they don’t they take their walks,” Brandon Nimmo said. “They don’t swing outside the zone, and [Soto] has done an amazing job of that again this year. I continue to be in awe of it as a peer of his and knowing how hard it is and how easy he makes it look.” 

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Brazobán entered for the fifth and surrendered a two-run homer to Abrams that sliced the Mets’ lead to 8-6. Brazoban recorded only one out in the inning and was replaced by Brooks Raley. 

Marte’s RBI ground out in the seventh brought in the Mets’ ninth run. Jeff McNeil singled in the inning and pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña stole second. 

Acuña drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth that widened the Nationals’ deficit to 10-6. Nimmo’s ensuing two-run single turned the game into a runaway. 

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“We’re trying to accomplish something big here,” Soto said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re down to eight [games] or one. We are just trying to win one.”