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Juan Soto smacks pair of homers in Mets' 7-1 win over Diamondbacks

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Juan Soto smacks pair of homers in Mets' 7-1 win over Diamondbacks

The Mets wrapped up their six-game road trip on a high note, as Juan Soto clubbed a pair of home runs in a 7-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field.

Here are the takeaways…

— Brandon Nimmo was limited to DH duties on Wednesday after hyperextending his knee in Tuesday’s loss, but the veteran outfielder didn’t seem too bothered by any discomfort at the plate. He led off the second inning with a stand-up double to left-center, snapping an 0-for-14 slide. There was a noticable hitch in Nimmo’s step while rounding first, but it’s possible he was deliberately running at three-quarter speed. The Mets weren’t able to orchestrate a rally following Nimmo’s hit.

— Kodai Senga struggled with command from the get-go, walking five of the first 10 batters he faced. But his jams in the first three innings were bailed out by strong defense from his teammates. In the first, catcher Luis Torrens gunned down Corbin Carroll trying to steal second base, and then one inning later, Eugenio Suárez was nailed at home on a perfectly executed relay between Tyrone Taylor and Francisco Lindor in left-center on a double from Alek Thomas.

— Senga fell into more trouble in the third, allowing the first two batters to reach base on balls. But a poor bunt attempt from Geraldo Perdomo allowed Torrens to throw down to Brett Baty at third for the forceout, and then Pavin Smith grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. Senga settled down from there, facing the minimum in the fourth and fifth innings. It was also the first time a Mets starter walked five of the first 10 batters faced since 2013.

— Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly was far more effective than Senga — he retired nine straight at one point and didn’t allow a walk through five scorless frames. But the veteran right-hander made the first costly mistake in the sixth, as Juan Soto broke the ice with a towering solo home run over the elevated center field wall to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. The 427-foot blast was Soto’s sixth of the year.

— In his sixth inning of work, Senga maintained composure against the top of the Diamondbacks’ order. While he gave up a leadoff single to Carroll, he then induced a flyout, strikeout, and popout to walk off the mound unscathed once again. It wasn’t a pretty performance — Senga’s five walks matched a career high — but he ultimately struck out four across 89 pitches and lowered his ERA to a stellar 1.16.

— Arizona allowed Kelly to begin the seventh, and that decision immediately backfired. He gave up a deep leadoff double to Torrens, who then scored on a one-out RBI single from Luisangel Acuña. Moments later, the Mets produced their league-leading 10th triple of the season, as Jeff McNeil laced a ball into the right-center gap to bump the lead to 3-0. The three-bagger came at a price, however — McNeil winced while approaching third base and the Mets quickly sent out José Azócar to serve as a pinch runner.

— Soto’s first multi-homer game of 2025 came against Arizona last week, and his second of the kind was solidified in the eighth, as he took lefty reliever Jalen Beeks deep to left for another solo shot. It was the 25th career multi-homer game for the superstar slugger.

— Max Kranick took over for Senga in the seventh, and needed only six pitches to register two outs. But the inning was anything but smooth, as he allowed a pair of singles before getting pinch-hitter Ketel Marte to ground out to second. Kranick then relinquished the shutout in the eighth by giving up a leadoff homer to Carroll, and Huascar Brazobán was called upon to register the final two outs in the inning. He did just that, inducing a flyout and strikeout.

— The Mets had Edwin Díaz warm up in the ninth with the save opportunity in place, but they didn’t need his services by the time the inning ended. The offense tacked on three more runs, as walks from Azocar and Taylor preceded a two-run double from Lindor. After the shortstop stole third base unexpectedly, Soto drove him in on a sac fly to left. Ryne Stanek then took the mound with a six-run lead, and retired the D-backs in order.

— Pete Alonso entered Wednesday with an 18-game on-base streak, and it almost seemed as if Suarez knew the story. While manning the hot corner, he robbed the Mets’ slugger of two extra-base hits down the left-field line with stellar glove work and accurate bang-bang throws across the diamond. Alonso grounded out and struck out twice in his final three at-bats, finishing the day 0-for-5.

Game MVP: Juan Soto

Soto silenced his critics in the rubber game with two impactful homers, and he’s now slashing .261/.385/.478 with seven long balls and 17 RBI through 38 games.

Highlights

What’s next

The Mets (24-14) will fly back east and begin a six-game homestand on Friday night, with the first of three against the Chicago Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Clay Holmes (4-1, 2.95 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite veteran righty Jameson Taillon (2-1, 3.86 ERA).



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