The Mets broke out of a frustrating stretch in emphatic fashion Thursday night at Citi Field, topping the Braves 7-1 to close out their series with a much-needed win. After dropping 10 of their last 11 games and falling from first place to 1.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East, New York’s bats finally came alive.
Juan Soto was the spark plug, launching two home runs, his 18th and 19th of the season, including a no-doubt solo shot to lead off a five-run fourth inning that chased Braves starter Didler Fuentes from the game before he could finish four complete.
Rookie Ronny Mauricio opened the scoring in the third, turning around a 3-2 fastball from Fuentes and sending it over the right field wall for his sixth homer of the season. But it was Soto’s first homer in the fourth that ignited the offensive onslaught.
Pete Alonso followed with a single, Jeff McNeil reached with a base hit, and Starling Marte brought in Alonso with a sacrifice fly. Brett Baty atoned for his earlier double-play ball by knocking in McNeil, and Mauricio kept the line moving with a hard single to right that prompted a Braves mound visit. The Mets sent nine men to the plate and tallied six runs in the frame—tying their largest single-inning output of the season.
Soto added his second homer of the night in the seventh, marking his fourth multi-homer game this season and the 27th of his career. Francisco Lindor capped the scoring with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to drive in his 43rd and 44th RBIs of the year.
Defensively, the Mets set the tone early when Jeff McNeil robbed a potential Braves homer in the top of the first with a leaping catch at the centerfield fence. That play gave starter Clay Holmes a cushion to settle in, and he responded with 5.2 innings of three-hit, one-run ball to lower his ERA to 2.97 on the season.
Brandon Waddell finished the job out of the bullpen, allowing just three hits over 3.1 scoreless innings while earning his first save of the year. The Braves went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
The Mets hope this win resets the tone as they prepare for a crucial stretch before the All-Star break. Despite the offensive breakout, the club is still looking to improve with runners in scoring position—an area that’s plagued them during their recent slump.
With the series win secured, the Mets now turn their focus to closing the gap on the division-leading Phillies.