Jun 25, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) is greeted by first baseman Pete Alonso (20) after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
QUEENS, NY — The Mets entered Wednesday last in home runs and tied for fourth worst in average against right-handed pitching. But they received a prime chance to break out and snap a five-game home skid — a part of an 11-game stretch with 10 losses — against Atlanta Braves starter Didier Fuentes, who was 0-7 and recorded a 4.81 ERA in nine minor-league starts this season.
They took advantage.
The Mets scored five runs in the fourth inning, six in total off Fuentes, to momentarily stop their skid with a 7-3 victory over their NL East rivals, who had beaten them in each of their first five meetings this season. New York (47-34) had scored six times in the first two games of this four-game set at Citi Field.
“Getting a lead was huge, that’s what we are, we’re tough outs,” Jeff McNeil said. “We were tough outs tonight and kind of kept putting on them.”
McNeil notched his first multi-hit game since Jun. 10. Juan Soto homered twice, and Ronny Mauricio collected three hits with a round-tripper of his own.
Mauricio opened the scoring when he turned on a fastball in the third inning for the third home run of his rookie campaign. Soto followed in the next frame with a home run into right field.
The superstar right fielder clobbered another no-doubt shot in the seventh inning for his 10th home run of June, tying him with Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman Eugenio Suárez for the most in this month in the NL. It also marked the four-time All-Star’s 27th multi-home run game — the most in MLB history for a player before turning 27.
“I know what I was chasing … really emotional right there,” Soto said. “When you look back at what I did and what I’ve been doing these past years, I think that’s super special.”
But it was in the fourth inning, right after Soto’s initial blast, when New York took full control with its first inning of five or more runs scored since late April.
Fuentes hit Pete Alonso, allowed a double to McNeil, and a base hit to designated hitter Starling Marte. All came on fastballs, leading to Fuentes using his offspeed pitches more in just his second-career major-league start.
Brett Baty, who entered hitting .316 in his career against Atlanta, singled on a curveball before Mauricio added a single. Catcher Hayden Senger, making his first start since Apr. 23, notched a hit on a sweeper to load the bases.
Lefty Aaron Bummer entered the game and allowed two runs to come across. Meanwhile, Mets’ starter Clay Holmes held the Braves to just one run in five innings, working around three hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
Holmes used his sinker consistently, often coaxing ground balls. Only three of the former Yankee’s 96 pitches were fastballs, one of which came to Marcell Ozuna in the opening inning.
Ozuna drilled the pitch into center field for what could have been his first home run since Jun. 13. But McNeil — who has typically played in the infield during his eight-year tenure in New York — displayed his athleticism with a leap in center field to rob the Braves slugger. McNeil said it was the first time he had robbed a home run in stride.
“[Playing centerfield] is actually something I’ve been wanting to do since I got drafted, [I] played a lot of outfield in college,” McNeil said. “I love playing outfield.”
Entering the ninth with a six-run lead, journeyman reliever Jonathan Pintaro — making his MLB debut — allowed two runs and put two more on, prompting manager Carlos Mendoza to turn to closer Edwin Diaz, who got Ozuna to ground out.
Soto made history while leading one of New York’s most complete efforts of the past two weeks, helping it avoid dropping six-straight home games for the first time under Mendoza.
“Soto obviously with a huge game, we witnessed greatness today,” Mendoza said. “That’s what you pay a ticket [for] to come watch a baseball game. To see something like that is a show.”
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