Juan Soto has been there before, but nothing can come close to this instance. Just last year, around the same time he returned to San Diego as a Yankee and the Padres fans were fuming with frustration. Right when his name was announced in the Yankees’ lineup, the boos got loud. It got even louder when he stepped into the batter’s box.

But as revealed by Soto, his return as a Met against the Yankees has faced the worst-ever boos! But he clapped back at those this time. More so, in the most graceful way – tipping his helmet and mouthing “thank you” to the Yanks. His calm demeanor even after loud boos was evident when he threw the baseball in the stands only to get it thrown back at him.

Meanwhile, the Mets took notice and were totally taken aback. The team’s shortstop, Francisco Lindor, exclaimed, “It was loud.” To him, it seemed like a postseason atmosphere. He added, “I’ve felt it louder in the playoffs, but yesterday, for a Subway Series, it was loud.” Well, it did feel like the entire stadium was against him.

Further, Lindor emphasized that he’s “proud” of Soto for handling it so well. No doubt, Soto embraced the chaos and took it without bitterness.

Friday’s 6-2 loss was tough for Soto and the Mets. However, on Saturday, they came out stronger than ever and dominated the Yankees with a 3-2 win. Soto was hitless on Friday, but on Saturday, he went 1-for-4 with another walk and run scored. In 10 plate appearances of the Subway Series, Soto is now 1-for-6 and has walked 4 times.

After the Mets made a comeback against the Yankees, Pete Alonso stated, “For us, the job at hand is to win the game, you know.” Alonso emphasized how the Mets are battle-tested in such hostile environments. Moreover, Mets reliever Max Kranick commended Soto with “I think he handled it the right way.”

Clearly, Soto has won the hearts of his teammates and his fans alike. And well, after Friday’s loss, the Mets were expected to come out stronger, and they sure did.

Mets and Soto take down the Yankees

The second game of the Subway Series was just as exciting as the opener. Most of the game, both the Yankees and the Mets looked quite similar. It was a close one; both teams were tied around the eighth inning with 2-2.

Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt threw 88 pitches across 6.1 innings. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits. DJ LeMahieu hit a home run in the third inning to give the Yankees a lead. However, the Mets entered in the fourth, crushing the Yankees’ lead and giving two hits with 3 walks. Now, they had the 2-1 lead. Well, all credit goes to Mark Vientos’ sacrifice fly and Pete Alonso’s RBI single.

The turning point for the Mets came in the ninth inning. They grabbed the lead with a walk, a hit by pitch, and a sacrifice fly against the Yankees’ reliever Fernando Cruz.

Right after Luis Torrens drew his second walk, it was Brett Baty who hit a stellar grounder to the right. Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu, who has recently been activated, tried to knock it down with a sliding play. In fact, he even hit a tough line drive straight to right field. But then, Juan Soto was able to make the catch for the final out before entering the ninth inning.

Then it was Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor’s moment as he gave his team another lead. It was when Tyrone Taylor was hit by a pitch as he attempted to swing. Naturally, Lindor got his chance to get a go-ahead run. So, yeah, the game-saving inning for the Mets was the ninth one.

Remarkably enough, Edwin Diaz seized the night with his stunning 98.6 mph fastball that struck out Yankees captain Aaron Judge.

The whole afternoon was a close call and an anxious one. But the Mets turned the tables to walk away from Yankee Stadium with a much-needed win, making things even… And now, Sunday’s game just got even more interesting, isn’t it?