NEW YORK (AP) — After a week of taking hits, Juan Soto came up with a big one.
In a slump that sparked debate over whether he made the right decision to leave the Yankees for a record $765 million contract across town, Soto hit a tiebreaking, two-run double with the bases loaded that led the Mets over the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Saturday night.
“I don’t listen to any of that. I focus on what we’re doing here,” Soto said.
Soto had been hitting .119 (5 for 42) with runners in scoring position, 164th among 167 qualified batters, before he drove a 2-2 pitch from Tony Gonsolin high off the right-center field wall for a 4-2 fourth-inning lead.
“I don’t think he’s swinging great right now and found a way to get a couple knocks tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You can see him bearing down a little bit more when guys are on base.”
Soto's 399-foot drive left his bat at 108.3 mph and missed being a grand slam by about 2 feet.
“When I hit it, I was like, just don’t catch it. I wasn’t thinking it was going that far,” Soto said. “When it hit the wall, it actually shocked me. I was like, I didn’t know the ball was going that far.”
He had one hit in his previous 24 at-bats with runners in scoring position and entered 5 for 40 with no extra-base hits and two RBIs in his last 11 games. He went 1 for 10 with four walks during his first series back in the Bronx as the Mets lost two of three last weekend. And Soto's lack of hustle on a drive off the Green Monster at Boston's Fenway Park on Monday intensified debate over his slow start and the absence of the Soto Shuffle in the batter's box.
A night after the Mets lost the series opener 7-5 in 13 innings, they fell behind 2-0.
Brett Baty had a run-scoring single in the second as part of a three-hit, two-RBI night.
Luis Torrens singled to open the fourth. Gonsolin loaded the bases with four-pitch walks to Baty and Francisco Lindor, and Starling Marte hit a run-scoring infield single.
Soto took a close 1-2 slider on the inside corner before the big hit.
"I thought I executed the slider really well there. He’s got a really good eye, barely missed, but I was pleased with the execution of it," Gonsolin said. "The splitter, I thought it was a solid one, just elevated it."
Soto went 2 for 5 against the Dodgers, raising his average from .236 to .241 with eight homers, 23 RBIs and a .792 OPS.
“I don’t know what the underlying numbers are saying, but this guy’s been very unlucky," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "It was good to see him finally get the results”
Fans responded to the double with a huge ovation.
“He works his butt off,” Mets starter David Peterson said. “I think for him to be able to get that today should only give him confidence and I think every guy on this team believes in who he is 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 of center fielder Tommy Edman’s throw.
Peterson matched his career high of 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits while inducing three double-play grounders. He struck out Shohei Ohtani three times.
“I think he made it look human,” Mendoza said.
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