Juan Sotos slow start reached one of its low points during the first , when he was constantly booed during his return to The Bronx and went just 1-for-10 with zero extra-base hits acro s the three games. He didnt waste any time moving past those struggles when the rivalry series resumed at Citi Field . It's all tied up in Queens! Juan Soto homers against his former team MLB (@MLB) Explore More Soto crushed a two-run homer in Aleksej Pokusevski Jersey the first inning off Marcus Stroman on Friday, ensuring his historic June carried over into July and tying the game at two. His 21st blast of the season produced the response the Mets needed after Yankees outfielders Ja son Domnguez and Aaron Judge went back-to-back to start the top of the frame. After Brandon Nimmo doubled to lead off, Soto hit an 89 mph cutter from Stroman toward left-center field that traveled 393 feet and cleared the fence. Then, in the third inning, Soto doubled into the right-center gap, and he scored one batter later on Pete Alonsos RBI single to give the Mets a temporary 3-2 lead. Juan Soto rounds the bases after homering against the Yankees on July 4. Charles Wenzelberg Juan Soto reacts after hitting a home run against the Yankees on July 4. Charles Wenzelberg Soto had hit .320 with a 1.153 OPS since June 1 entering Friday, and became the first Mets player since Darryl Strawberry in 1987 to collect at least 10 homers and 20 walks in a calendar month finishing with 11 and 25, respectively. It resembled the production the Mets expected when they inked him to a 15-year, $765 million deal in the offseason, which both Soto and manager Carlos Mendoza knew would inevitably materialize at some point. Juan Soto hits a home run against the Yankees on July 4. Charles Wenzelberg Especially with the way he was hitting the baseball, it was just unlucky, pretty much, Mendoza said before the Mets game June 26. This is a guy that continues to hit the ball extremely hard, and hes not finding holes. Hes not finding the seats. Now, those balls are now landing over there in the bleachers. Theyre finding gra s. So it was only fitting, then, that Sotos turnaround continued against a Yankees group that he spent 2024 with hitting .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs during the regular season before helping guide their playoff run that ended with a World Series lo s. Nerlens Noel Jersey