HOUSTON — In a standout performance, Juan Soto crushed his first home run as a member of the New York Mets, playing a pivotal role in their 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
Taking his stand in the third inning, Soto, facing Hunter Brown, seized a 1-2 pitch and sent it sailing deep into right field for a solo homer, boosting the Mets to an early 3-0 advantage. This impressive 390-foot home run came just a day after a missed opportunity on opening day when Soto struck out in a critical situation against Josh Hader.
In his Mets debut on Thursday, Soto showcased his potential by registering a single and two walks, following an astounding $765 million, 15-year contract signing as a free agent in December.
On the mound, Tylor Megill (1-0) effectively managed a five-plus inning outing, allowing just one run while conceding three hits. He tallied six strikeouts with only one walk. Relief pitcher Edwin Díaz clinched the game with a flawless ninth inning, striking out one for his first save of the season to secure a strong three-hit game for the Mets.
Despite a commendable performance from Hunter Brown (0-1), who struck out seven across his six innings of work, he still allowed four hits and granted three walks.
Contributing to New York’s score, Mark Vientos struck an RBI double in the second inning, which saw him score subsequently on a single from Jesse Winker. The Astros managed to get on the board in the fourth inning through a sacrifice fly by Yordan Alvarez.
The Astros made an effort to close the gap but were thwarted, especially evident in the eighth inning when Luisangel Acuña, with one out and a runner on first, executed an impressive diving stop on a grounder from Alvarez, securing an out.
Overall, Houston struggled with runners in scoring positions, ending 0 for 5 in such scenarios. A critical moment in the game occurred when the Mets squashed a potential rally in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Reed Garrett struck out Alvarez, following it up with an out on Yainer Diaz via a fly ball.
Marking a strong statistical highlight, the Mets have consistently won games with Megill as the starting pitcher, stretching back to August 30 of the previous season, marking seven consecutive wins.
Looking ahead, the series finale on Saturday night will feature Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti against New York’s Griffin Canning. Arrighetti aims to build off an impressive rookie season, which included reaching 171 strikeouts, ranking him third in franchise history for a rookie.