Soto hits 2nd homer and Mets top lowly Twins 5-1

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Juan Soto broke out of his home run drought Monday night, launching his first long ball since the opening weekend to help power the New York Mets past the struggling Minnesota Twins, 5-1.

Soto’s seventh-inning blast, a two-run shot off Jorge Alcala, extended the Mets’ lead and capped a strong all-around performance by the red-hot team. The Mets have now won nine of their last 11 games.

Pete Alonso and Luisangel Acuña each notched a pair of hits. Alonso kicked things off with an early RBI single, while Acuña made the most of his time in the No. 9 spot — reaching base three times, scoring twice, and swiping a base.

Minnesota, now 5-12, managed only three hits on a damp, chilly night at Target Field and tied a season high with 13 strikeouts. The team’s offensive struggles continued, with a collective batting average of just .203 — the second-worst in the American League.

Mark Vientos gave the Mets a 2-1 lead in the sixth with an RBI double, then came around to score on a throwing error by Twins reliever Justin Topa. That sequence gave New York breathing room before Soto’s homer the next inning.

Mets starter Clay Holmes (2-1) turned in a solid outing, giving up just two hits and striking out eight across five innings. He cruised through the first four frames before running into trouble in the fifth, loading the bases with two walks and a hit batter. Christian Vázquez drove in Minnesota’s lone run with a sacrifice fly.

Twins starter Joe Ryan battled through five innings on 101 pitches, allowing just one run while striking out eight.

Despite strong recent performances by their starting rotation — a 0.96 ERA over the last seven games — the Twins are just 2-5 over that stretch, hampered by a cold offense and defensive miscues.

Reliever Huascar Brazobán was efficient for the Mets, needing only nine pitches to retire the side in the bottom of the sixth.

Attendance at Target Field was just 10,240 — the lowest for a non-COVID-impacted season since the ballpark opened in 2010.

Up Next:
The series continues Tuesday night with Mets right-hander Tylor Megill (2-1, 0.63 ERA) facing Twins righty Bailey Ober (0-1, 7.11 ERA).