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Acce s the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Juan Soto didnt run into many rough spells in his lone season with the Yankees, so theres no telling how The Bronx crowd would have reacted if Soto got off to a slow start. But Soto acknowledged he was caught off guard by the ovation he received Friday night from the Citi Field crowd in the fifth inning, while in the middle of whats been a lengthy slump at least for him. One hundred percent, Soto said Sunday, as to whether he was surprised by the reaction. After the first at-bat, I thought, Why are they getting up to cheer? When he realized it was a form of encouragement, Soto said he got excited. Its a great feeling, Soto said. When you have a fan base supporting you when you do bad or good, you really appreciate it. I feel they dont know how meaningful that is. I feel like every player feels that way. Its the same thing in the playoffs. The fans going crazy gives you more motivation and gets your adrenaline going. Explore More Juan Soto hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Tyrone Taylor, during the third inning Sunday against the Cardinals at Citi Field. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST After the unexpected ovation that night, Soto ripped a run-scoring single. In Saturdays win, manager Carlos Mendoza said he saw a better swing from Soto than hes seen at other points of the season, one that is shorter to the ball and allows him to drive the ball to the opposite field. The manager added he didnt see Soto flying Bruce Brown Jr. Jersey open, as he has at some points this season. CHECK OUT THE AND And then on Sunday, as Soto and the Mets completed a four-game sweep of the Cardinals , the right fielder laced a two-run double to left-center that helped seal the game. He finished the game with three RBIs, thanks to the speedy Tyrone Taylor scoring on Sotos sacrifice fly to shallow left in the third and a single through the right side of the infield. Juan Soto celebrates his two-run double during the eighth inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post Juan Soto celebrates his sacrifice fly that scored Tyrone Taylor (15) in the third inning. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST The 26-year-old hasnt quite looked like the hitter the Mets expected when they gave him a 15-year, $765 million deal in December, but the team is continuing to win even without peak Soto. His drive to the gap in left-center off right-hander Ryan Fernandez was a 106 mph shot that split the outfielders and showed off Sotos power to all fields. We all know what hes capable of, Brandon Nimmo said. Hes gonna be as hot as a firecracker here pretty soon. Hell be fine. The biggest thing for him is to not try to do too much. Keep hitting doubles to right field and singles that will turn into homers. Delivering insights on all things Amazins Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Theres no reason to believe they wont, as Soto has been nothing if not consistent over the course of his career. There are going to be ups and downs, Soto said. Its not always going to go great in a long season. But over the weekend, as the Mets stomped the Cardinals, Soto gave them reason to hope he would look like himself soon enough. And perhaps some unlikely support from a fan base not always known for it may have helped. Tyler Johnson Jersey
