Soto’s 2 Homers Lead Mets Over Braves 7-3

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    NEW YORK — In a thrilling contest at Citi Field, Juan Soto showcased his power, hitting two home runs to lead the New York Mets past the Atlanta Braves with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday night. This marked the Mets’ first triumph over their National League East rivals in six encounters this season.

    The Mets found offensive strength near the end of their lineup, with No. 8 hitter Ronny Mauricio also contributing a homer and tallying three hits on the night. Center fielder Jeff McNeil played a crucial role in the team’s defense, leaping high to snatch away a potential two-run homer from Marcell Ozuna in the opening inning.

    Pitcher Clay Holmes, overcoming control issues, navigated through five innings while yielding just a single run despite four walks. The sole blemish came via a fourth-inning solo home run from Braves rookie Drake Baldwin. This performance marked a significant improvement for Holmes, who had struggled with a career-high six walks during his previous start against Atlanta.

    After squandering a lead the night before, the Mets’ bullpen stepped up, delivering three scoreless innings. Jonathan Pintaro made his major league debut, although he surrendered a two-run single to Ronald Acuña Jr. in the ninth inning before closer Edwin Díaz shut the door, collecting his 16th save out of 17 opportunities.

    With the score level at 1-1, Soto ignited a powerful five-run fourth inning by sending the first pitch he saw from rookie pitcher Didier Fuentes over the right-center field fence. This rally was amplified by RBI singles from Brett Baty and Brandon Nimmo, with Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor each adding a sacrifice fly to the mix.

    Pitching at just 20 years of age, Fuentes struggled in only his second major league start, exiting after allowing six runs on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings. Soto later added to the scoreboard with a solo home run off Austin Cox in the seventh inning, bringing the score to 7-1. This performance marked Soto’s 27th multihomer game of his career and his fourth such game this season, underscoring his formidable presence at the plate with 10 homers in just 23 games this month.

    Notably, Braves’ center fielder Michael Harris II made a highlight-reel play by robbing Francisco Lindor of a would-be two-run homer in the eighth inning with an impressive leaping catch.

    During a tense moment in the fifth inning, with two Braves runners on base, Holmes managed to retire both Ozuna and Austin Riley, effectively quashing Atlanta’s scoring chance.

    In notable statistics, Fuentes was recognized as the second-youngest starting pitcher ever at Citi Field, tracing back to its opening in 2009—a record initially set by 19-year-old Julio Urías of the Dodgers in 2016. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s Matt Olson continued his impressive offensive streak by reaching base in his 26th consecutive game, marking the longest current streak in Major League Baseball.

    The series will conclude with the final game on Thursday night, featuring Braves right-hander Grant Holmes (3-6, 3.97 ERA) set to face Mets right-hander Griffin Canning (7-3, 3.91) as both teams look to round off their four-game matchup.