Juan Soto showed exactly why the Mets made him the face of the franchise Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, crushing two solo home runs off Aaron Nola and sparking a three-run seventh inning that carried New York to a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Soto's multi-homer performance pushed his season total to 17 and provided a much-needed bright spot for a Mets club that entered the night 13.5 games back in the NL East. The win snapped Philadelphia's momentum in the division race and gave New York consecutive victories for the first time in two weeks.
For a team that has struggled to find consistency all season, Soto's bat remains the one constant. The 27-year-old has now homered in three of his last four games and is showing the same elite production that made him an NL MVP finalist in 2025.
Soto Carves Up Nola Early and Often
Soto wasted no time making an impact. In the top of the first inning, he turned on an Aaron Nola sinker and sent it into the right-field seats for his 16th home run of the season. The solo shot put the Mets ahead 1-0, and A.J. Ewing followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0 before the Phillies even came to the plate.
The Mets slugger struck again in the third inning. Facing Nola for the second time, Soto drove a pitch to deep right-center field for his second home run of the night and 17th of the year. The solo blast extended New York's lead to 3-1 and marked Soto's fourth multi-homer game of the season. He has made a habit of punishing division rivals in 2026, with nine of his 17 home runs coming against NL East opponents.
Nola, who entered the night with a 3.42 ERA and a 9-3 record, had no answer for Soto. The Phillies right-hander struggled with command from the outset, throwing first-pitch strikes to only 14 of the 26 batters he faced. He managed to limit the damage to three runs over six innings with seven strikeouts, but the two Soto solo shots loomed large in a game decided by two runs.
Soto finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He now owns a .297 batting average with a .393 on-base percentage and .555 slugging percentage, good for a .948 OPS that ranks sixth in Major League Baseball. His 17 home runs place him among the top five in the National League, and he has driven in 36 runs while scoring 34 more.
Phillies Answer Before the Mets Strike in the Seventh
Philadelphia refused to go quietly. Alec Bohm drove in a run in the first with a single and added an RBI double in the third, cutting the Mets lead to 3-2. The Phillies tied the game in the fourth when Derek Hill singled home Bryson Stott, knotting the score at 3-3.
Mets starter Sean Manaea battled through 5.1 innings, allowing three runs — two earned — while scattering five hits and striking out five. It was a serviceable outing for the left-hander, who has posted a 4.01 ERA in 14 starts this season but has struggled to pitch deep into games. He left with the game tied, but the Mets bullpen kept Philadelphia in check long enough for the offense to break through.
The decisive rally came in the seventh inning against Phillies reliever José Alvarado. Eric Wagaman delivered a go-ahead single to center field, putting the Mets up 4-3. Marcus Semien followed with a two-run triple that opened up a 6-3 cushion, giving New York its largest lead of the night. The three-run frame proved critical when Philadelphia scratched across a run in the ninth.
The Phillies bullpen has been a weak spot all season, ranking 22nd in the majors in bullpen ERA. Alvarado entered the game with a 3.67 ERA but has been inconsistent in high-leverage spots, and Thursday's outing did nothing to quiet concerns about Philadelphia's relief corps heading into the summer months.
Devin Williams Continues to Stabilize the Ninth
Devin Williams entered in the ninth looking for his 10th save of the season. The veteran closer, who signed a three-year contract with the Mets this offseason after spending his entire career in Milwaukee, has been a steadying presence in a New York bullpen that desperately needed one.
Williams allowed a run on an RBI single from Justin Crawford but regrouped to get Brett Baty on a flyout to left to seal the win. The save was his 10th in 11 chances this season, and he has converted seven straight opportunities after a rocky start to 2026. Over his last 17 appearances, Williams has been scored upon just twice and has struck out more than a batter per inning.
His early-season struggles — a 5.01 ERA in April that ballooned from diminished effectiveness on his signature Airbender changeup — appear firmly in the rearview mirror. A video review session in late April prompted Williams to return to his original hand placement, and the results since then speak for themselves.
NL East Race and the Mets Long Road Back
At 33-41, the Mets face a steep climb if they hope to climb back into playoff contention. They sit 13.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and 10 games back of the third wild card spot. FanGraphs gives New York less than a 1% chance of winning the division and roughly a 16% chance of making the playoffs.
Still, the roster has shown signs of life in recent weeks. Bo Bichette has been one of the hottest hitters in the National League this month, posting a .385 batting average with eight home runs in June. His resurgence alongside Soto gives the Mets a formidable 3-4 punch in the middle of the order. If Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty can provide consistent production from the lower half, New York has the offensive pieces to put together a run.
The bigger question is pitching. Manaea has been inconsistent, the bullpen is improved but not dominant, and the Mets lack a true ace at the top of the rotation. The front office will have decisions to make ahead of the trade deadline: buy and try to close the gap, or sell veterans and focus on 2027.
For Philadelphia, the loss stings but doesn't change the big picture. At 40-34, the Phillies hold a solid position in the wild card race and remain within striking distance of Atlanta. But the bullpen questions are real, and Aaron Nola's inconsistency against elite hitters is a concern the front office will need to address if Philadelphia hopes to make a deep postseason run.
For now, Soto's performance stands as the story. Two home runs off one of the better pitchers in the National League is nothing new for the 27-year-old superstar, but it's a reminder of what the Mets paid for — a generational hitter capable of carrying a lineup on any given night. Whether the rest of the roster can match his level remains the defining question of New York's season.
Ryan Whitaker
Ryan Whitaker covers sports through a data-driven lens, using trends, matchups, and key numbers to turn complex information into useful takeaways.