PHOENIX — The version of Juan Soto the Mets have waited for — and paid for — is here.
They beat the Diamondbacks, 7-1, Wednesday afternoon on the strength of Soto’s two home runs, his second such game in a week and the latest indication that after an underwhelming opening to his Mets career he will be just fine.
After compiling eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two homers) in April, he is up to six extra-base hits (two doubles, four homers) already in May.
“I feel the same,” Soto said. “I’m seeing the ball well, I’m making good decisions. Now I’m squaring up a couple more balls and finding a couple of gaps.”
He’s finding the other sides of walls, too.
His towering blast to centerfield off righthander Merrill Kelly in the sixth inning opened the scoring of what to that point had been a fast-moving pitchers’ duel. He added a line drive into the leftfield seats off lefty Jalen Beeks for a tack-on run in the eighth (plus a sacrifice fly in the ninth).
“The left-on-left, that was pretty impressive,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I didn’t think that ball was going to go. He knew right away [based on] his reaction. And that ball just kept on going. Pretty impressive…That’s what makes him a great hitter. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a righty or a lefty. I feel like against lefties, I don’t know what it is, but he’s been locked in.”
Soto said: “I hit it pretty good. Definitely I knew it was over [leftfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s] head. But I know I have the power to hit it out that way.”
Soto is on pace for 30 home runs and 72 RBIs. Those figures will rise if and when he gets hot for an extended stretch.
“He’s been like that for a few days now, a week, 10 days,” Mendoza said. “He continues to control the strike zone, but again, maybe two weeks now that he continues to have really good at-bats day in and day out.”
The Mets (24-14) plated three runs in 6 1⁄3 innings against Kelly.
Kodai Senga had a weird but ultimately effective start of six scoreless innings.
He walked five of his first 10 batters — including the leadoff guy in the first, second and third frames — and then none after that. Arizona (19-18) had just two hits against him.
“Those first three innings were rough. I didn’t have anything,” Senga, who lowered his ERA to 1.16, said through an interpreter. “Out of experience, I know that when certain things are not going certain ways, I have [mechanics-related] quick fixes for that. I was able to find that to get me through the game.”
Aiding Senga along the way and helping to keep his pitch count at a reasonable level: three extra outs via the defense (including one on a double-play grounder).
Catcher Luis Torrens threw out Corbin Carroll trying to steal second in the first inning. On Alek Thomas’ double in the second, a well-executed relay sequence from Tyrone Taylor to Francisco Lindor to Torrens nailed Eugenio Suarez at the plate.
“Those,” Mendoza said, “are winning plays.”
Notes & quotes: The Mets’ series win meant they eked out a season series split with Arizona, which could prove relevant come late September. Last year, when the clubs had the same record, the D-backs were the odd team out of the playoffs because the Mets had the season-series tiebreaker. If they finish with the same number of wins as they jostle for playoff positioning again this year, MLB would determine a winner based on the second tiebreaker (intradivision record) . . . Jeff McNeil exited with what Mendoza called a left hamstring cramp. “But he’s fine,” Mendoza said. “Nothing to worry about there.” . . . Brandon Nimmo also was “fine” after hyperextending his left knee Tuesday, per the manager. He went 1-for-4 with a double as the DH Wednesday . . . The Mets signed lefthanded reliever Colin Poche to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse. Poche, 31, was terrible for the Nationals this year (11.42 ERA in 13 appearances) but was solid for the Rays for the prior three seasons (3.27 ERA).
