Juan Soto hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh as the New York Mets held off the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4, avoiding a sweep for the sixth time this season.
NEW YORK — Juan Soto watched JoJo Romero’s 0-2 pitch reach him, then sent it out to break the game open in the seventh. The homer proved to be the difference as the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Thursday.
Soto’s go-ahead shot allowed New York to avoid being swept for the sixth time this season. It was his 14th homer of the year and the sixth long ball of the game.
The Mets struck back early after Alec Burleson opened the scoring with a two-out blast in the first. New York answered with Bo Bichette’s two-run shot and Jared Young also went deep in the bottom half to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.
St. Louis refused to fade. Lars Nootbaar added a solo homer in the second, then Jimmy Crooks cleared the bases with a two-run shot to put the Cardinals in front 4-3.
The rest of the afternoon turned into a showcase for the home run ball, with the wind blowing out to right at 8 mph and the first-pitch temperature sitting at 91 degrees. Every homer Thursday went to right field except Bichette’s.
Young provided the game’s only non-homer run by bringing home the tying score with a fifth-inning single. From there, New York leaned on its late relief.
Mets starter Christian Scott took the loss after allowing four runs while striking out six in 4 2/3 innings. Hunter Dobbins kept pace for St. Louis, giving up three runs and finishing with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Brooks Raley (2-1) pitched a hitless seventh, and Devin Williams closed it out with his ninth save by working a perfect ninth.
The announced crowd of 37. 019 kept plenty of energy in the building. including loud ovations in the middle of the third inning and again prior to the top of the eighth. That’s when the scoreboard aired replays of OG Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in that gave the Knicks a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
St. Louis will continue a six-game road trip Friday. with RHP Kyle Leahy (5-3. 4.42 ERA) starting against the Twins and RHP Joe Ryan (4-3. 3.07 ERA) also set to pitch. New York. meanwhile. begins a three-game series against the visiting Atlanta Braves in the opener. with RHP Nolan McLean (3-4. 3.98 ERA) scheduled to start. The Braves have yet to announce a starter.
Juan Soto Mets vs Cardinals New York Mets St. Louis Cardinals Christian Scott Hunter Dobbins Devin Williams Brooks Raley Bo Bichette Jared Young Lars Nootbaar Jimmy Crooks MLB
Soto just be doing Soto things lol
Wait they said avoid a sweep but it was 5-4? feels like Mets barely survived like always. Also 91 degrees?? no wonder it was a homer fest.
The wind blowing out to right at 8 mph is such a random detail, like it actually changes the whole outcome or something. But I thought Romero is the one who got hit? 0-2 pitch reach him then BOOM. Either way Mets bullpen somehow always shows up.
Why was the Knicks replay on the scoreboard in a baseball game?? I’m confused. Like is this Mets/Cardinals or NBA Finals 4 again?? Anyway Soto hit the seventh inning homer so that’s cool, but I’m side-eyeing the whole schedule, 37,019 crowd sounds made up too.