NEW YORK — Mets right fielder Juan Soto continued to play like a version of his old self again on Tuesday.
In Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals at Citi Field, Soto continued to give fans something to cheer about.
Especially with New York trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Stepping up to the plate with DH Starling Marte on first, the 38,742 fans in attendance began chanting Soto’s name, sensing a big hit coming.
Three pitches later, he delivered a 107.3 mph laser to right field for an RBI double, cutting the Nationals’ lead to 4-3.
“How things are going, definitely hoping to go down,” Soto said with a laugh about his eighth-inning double. “It did, and I was really glad. I thought the ball went farther than it did, but I got it done.”
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Standing in scoring position with first baseman Pete Alonso at the plate, Soto had given the Mets their first sign of hope all game. As Alonso has done all season, he too delivered a big hit, scoring Soto from second to tie the game 4-4 before being thrown out trying to stretch a double.
“The inning started, and the whole time I’m thinking let’s get the big boys up there,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said about Soto and Alonso coming through with big hits in the eighth.
In extra innings, the Mets finally finished the job. With the ghost runner on second, second baseman Jeff McNeil delivered the game-winning hit, a line drive single to right field, scoring pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña.
Soto’s other contributions came early in the game.
With his former team leading 3-1 in the third inning, facing starter MacKenzie Gore, who the San Diego Padres traded to Washington for Soto in 2022, Soto hit a hanging slider over the wall in left field to bring the Mets within one run of the Nationals.
“Just a great swing,” Soto said after the game. “Like I said, another mistake. I’m waiting for mistakes. He made a mistake, and I put the ball in play.”
Including Tuesday’s home run, his 12th of the season, Soto’s 12-for-33 with six extra-base hits (four home runs) in his last 10 games.
He also contributed with his glove. With the Nationals threatening to extend their lead in the second inning, he nabbed third baseman José Tena trying to score from first on shorstop CJ Abrams’s single to right field.
It was Soto’s fifth outfield assist of the season, halfway to his career-best 10 assists, which he accomplished both in 2023 with the Padres and 2024 with the Yankees.
At this rate, he’s on pace for a new career high of 12 assists this season.
He nearly caught another runner in the eighth inning, fielding a ball cleanly off the wall and throwing to second. But the ball caromed off shortstop Francisco Lindor’s glove, who attempted to catch the ball and tag the runner in one motion, sailing high in the air before falling in the infield grass.
Mets starter Griffin Canning didn’t have it against the Nationals. He allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings, handing the ball to the bullpen trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning.
The other Mets run came early, though they never held a lead at any point in the game.
Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning, left fielder Brandon Nimmo led off with a single. Nimmo followed by stealing second, giving the Mets their first runner in scoring position.
Two batters later, McNeil blooped a single out of the diving right fielder’s reach, scoring Nimmo from second to narrow the Nationals’ lead to 3-1.
Manny Gómez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.