Soto powers Mets in signature night as 12-6 win over Nationals to start series
Juan Soto homered and reached base four times, including a 408-foot shot that cleared Citi Field's 408-foot sign, as New York bolstered its wild-card lead with a lopsided win over Washington.
Juan Soto delivered a signature performance for the New York Mets on Friday night, homering and reaching base four times to spark a 12-6 win over the Washington Nationals at Citi Field, opening a key series in strong fashion. His center-field shot in the fourth inning cleared the 408-foot sign and helped ignite a six-run rally that gave the Mets a lead they would not relinquish. Soto’s 42nd homer of the season set a new career high, and the crowd responded with MVP-style chants as he starred in his standout night for the Mets.
Soto’s night stood out in a game that otherwise featured uneven defense and several miscues. The Mets, who had battled down the stretch for a playoff spot, first showed the sloppiness in the first inning when Dylan Crews’ fielding error on a Pete Alonso single allowed an unearned run for Washington to cross. Washington briefly grabbed the lead as it built to 4-1 through the third inning, aided by Daylen Lyle’s RBI triple and CJ Abrams’ two-run double after Huascar Báez? Brazobán scuffled behind starter Brandon Sproat. Sproat, making his third major league start, lasted four innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
The Mets’ offense woke in the fourth, beginning with Francisco Alvarez tying the game with a two-run double to left-center. Brett Baty was plunked, then Francisco Lindor reached on a misplayed single by Nationals left fielder Dylan Crews, bringing in a run. Soto then followed with a three-run homer to push the Mets ahead 8-4.
Bárr? Brazobán came back in the fifth and allowed a two-run homer to Abrams, trimming New York’s lead to 8-6, but the Mets countered with a bullpen that covered the final 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Chris Devenski combined for the relief effort after Brazobán’s exit.
In the seventh, Marte’s RBI groundout produced the Mets’ ninth run. Jeff McNeil added a run-scoring single, and pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña stole second. Acuña then drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to widen the gap to 10-6, setting up Nimmo’s two-run single that padded the final margin and completed the 12-6 final.
The victory kept the Mets two games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the NL’s third and final wild-card slot, with the Diamondbacks two games behind New York and playing a later game against the Phillies. Soto, already the franchise’s first 40/30 performer (homers and stolen bases) this season, again highlighted a night that showcased his all-around impact and reinforced his standing as the Mets’ linchpin in a pivotal stretch run.
The Mets were able to steady their late-inning relievers and close out a win that balanced a night of volatility with a high-impact performance from Soto and a timely offensive flurry in the fourth inning. New York now eyes the rest of the series against Washington with its postseason positioning still in play, hoping to maintain momentum as the season winds toward its conclusion.