The New York Mets won the offseason by signing outfield sensation Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract. They did not, however, win on Opening Day, losing 3-1 to the Houston Astros. Soto went 1-for-3 with two walks and a game-ending strikeout in his Mets debut. New York had six hits but stranded ten runners.
Nobody on the team recorded more than one hit. Framber Valdez, the Astros’ opening pitcher, threw seven scoreless innings before Bryan Abreu came in to pitch the eighth. Closer Josh Hader then surrendered one run in the ninth on a Francisco Lindor sacrifice fly before striking out Soto to seal the victory.
Despite the setback, Soto maintained an optimistic attitude when chatting with reporters. “For me, it was a good experience,” the 26-year-old added. “These guys are incredible. We’ve been having a fantastic time since spring training, so we’ve just got to bring that. Soto signed with the Mets after helping the New York Yankees reach the World Series, which they lost in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. With his arrival in Queens, the Mets now have a standout trifecta consisting of him, Lindor, and Pete Alonso. On Thursday, Lindor led off, followed by Soto and Alonso.
In nine at-bats, the three combined for only two hits and one RBI, with four walks and four strikeouts. Clay Holmes, the starting pitcher, allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, four walks, and four strikeouts over 4.2 innings. The Mets will face the Astros again on Friday night.