Juan Soto’s towering home run and a stellar showing from the bullpen led the New York Mets to a 3-1 win over the Royals on Saturday, securing the series victory in Kansas City.
After fouling a pitch off his thigh Friday, Soto returned to the lineup as the designated hitter and didn’t miss a beat. In the fourth, he crushed his 23rd homer of the season, a 435-foot shot into the right-center to put New York up 2-0. The blast also tied Soto’s personal best for home runs in the first half of a season.
Frankie Montas delivered five solid innings, retiring 15-of-16 at one point. He allowed just one run on four hits and struck out five. After giving up back-to-back doubles in the sixth, the Mets’ bullpen took over and locked things down. Reed Garrett, Chris Devenski, and Edwin Díaz combined for four shutout innings, allowing just two walks and keeping Kansas City off the board the rest of the way.
Jeff McNeil added a key insurance run in the ninth with an RBI single after Pete Alonso’s double. Mark Vientos extended his hitting streak to three games, and Francisco Lindor joined elite company by swiping his 200th career base.
The Mets (55-41) go for the sweep on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. in their final game before the All-Star break.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].