KEYPOINTS SUMMARY โ Juan Soto crushes
- Juan Soto finally hits his first two home runs at Citi Field as a Met
- Despite his breakout night, the Mets lose 4โ2 to Arizona
- Soto had gone 15 home games without a homer before Thursday
- His two bombs were the only runs scored by the Mets in the loss
- Soto joins a short list of Mets stars who were slow to homer at home
- LA Dodgers take the top spot in the standings as the Mets stumble
Juan Soto Mets Milestone: The Slugger Finally Delivers at Home
Mets fans have been holding their breath. The Citi Field crowd was restless. The $765 million man hadnโt sent a ball over the wall at home all season. But that all changed on Thursday night.
Juan Soto is officially ON FIRE. Juan Soto crushes.
After 15 long home games without a single dinger, Soto finally unleashed not one, but TWO home runs at Citi Field in a performance that had fans screaming โ and then sighing in defeat. Because despite Sotoโs big night, the New York Mets still lost 4โ2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Itโs the kind of night that reminds you: in baseball, one man canโt win the game alone โ no matter how hard he tries.
Soto Crushes Two Homers โ But the Mets Offense Goes Silent
For all the fireworks Soto brought, the rest of the Mets lineup seemed to have left their bats at home.
In front of a packed home crowd, Soto stepped up and finally shattered the Citi Field curse. He blasted an opposite-field homer in the sixth inning off ace Zac Gallen, then followed it up with a second bomb in the eighth off Kevin Ginkel.
The crowd erupted. The stadium shook. Soto had arrived.
But that was it. Juan Soto crushes.
Those two shots accounted for all of New Yorkโs scoring. The rest of the squad went dead quiet, unable to string together hits or drive in any runs. It was a one-man show, and sadly, one man wasnโt enough.
Sotoโs Citi Field Drought Finally Ends
Letโs talk about that drought.
Juan Soto, one of baseballโs most feared hitters, had played 15 home games without a single home run. For a guy who came to the Mets with sky-high expectations and a mega-contract, it was starting to raise eyebrows.
He had crushed 12 homers in 35 games as a visiting player at Citi Field before joining the Mets โ and suddenly, he couldnโt clear the wall?
Fans were starting to ask: Is Citi Field cursed?
But on Thursday night, Soto answered that question loud and clear.
Mendoza Always Believed
Manager Carlos Mendoza wasnโt worried. At least not publicly.
โItโs always good to see it,โ Mendoza said. โWe knew he was close.โ
He wasnโt wrong. Soto had been hitting the ball hard โ just not in the air. In fact, five of the first eight balls he put in play during the Arizona series were clocked at over 101 mph. His exit velocity was there. His swing looked crisp. But the ball just wouldnโt carry.
Until now.
And when Soto finally found his groove โ going opposite field, no less โ Mendoza was glowing.
โHeโs hitting balls on the ground, but now, finally, not only hitting balls in the air, but when heโs going in that direction โ left-center โ heโs a pretty dangerous hitter,โ Mendoza said. โIt was good to see that today.โ
Soto Joins Mets Hall of Home Run Delays
Believe it or not, Soto isnโt alone when it comes to slow starts at Citi Field.
Among high-profile Mets signings over the last few decades:
- Bobby Bonilla went 22 games in 1992 before homering at home
- Carlos Beltrรกn needed 13 games in 2005
- Francisco Lindor finally went yard in his 11th home game in 2021
Now, Sotoโs name is etched into that weird Mets trivia as well. But with two bombs in one night, itโs safe to say heโs put that narrative to bed.
โI donโt have any pressure,โ Soto said postgame. โThese guys and Mendoza have been really clear with me, to make me feel comfortable going out there and playing. I donโt have any pressure at all. Itโs just two homers that werenโt enough to get the win.โ
Exit Velocities Donโt Lie โ Sotoโs Swing is Locked In
Even before the homers, Sotoโs bat had been sizzling.
During the series against Arizona, Sotoโs exit velocities were jumping off the stat sheet. One groundout in the first inning came off his bat at 110.1 mph โ harder than either of the home runs heโd hit later that night.
That tells you: he was due.
And when he finally got under the ball? Boom. Citi Field saw fireworks.
A Huge Moment โ But a Bitter Ending
Thereโs no way around it โ Soto gave the fans a show. For the first time in his short Mets career, the Citi Field crowd got to see him deliver the kind of moment he was paid for.
But even that wasnโt enough to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, who chipped away at Mets pitching and took advantage of missed opportunities. New Yorkโs bullpen couldnโt hold off Arizonaโs late push, and with the bats ice-cold beyond Soto, the result was another notch in the loss column.
To make matters worse, the loss cost the Mets their top spot in the standings, handing the lead back to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
So Whatโs Next for Soto and the Mets?
Now that the Citi Field home run curse has been lifted, the big question is: Can Soto keep this hot streak going?
Heโs clearly seeing the ball well. His swing is locked in. The pressureโs off. And with his confidence back, the Mets may be about to unleash their true offensive potential.
But theyโll need help.
The rest of the lineup must step up. Pitching needs to tighten. And with teams like the Dodgers, Padres, and Phillies heating up, every win counts.
The Slugger Is Here โ Now the Team Must Catch Up
Juan Soto finally gave Mets fans what theyโd been waiting for โ and it was glorious. Two massive home runs. A roar from the crowd. A performance worthy of his price tag. Juan Soto crushes.
But while Soto brought the fireworks, the Mets couldnโt bring the win.
Itโs a bittersweet moment. Sotoโs bat is waking up at just the right time โ but unless the rest of the team follows his lead, that bat will be booming in a lot of lonely box scores.
One thing is for sure: if this is the beginning of a hot streak for Soto, the rest of the league should be very, very nervous.
Because once Juan Soto is locked in?
Itโs game over.
