Soto stares down Gore and helps Mets rally past Nationals in extra innings

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NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto is starting to feel it.

Following a May slump that dropped his batting average to .224, the New York Mets slugger has eight hits in his last four games. And when he homered Tuesday night at Citi Field, he stared down Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore a couple of times while rounding the bases.

“We were saying hi to each other. That’s it,” Soto said with the slightest hint of a smile, drawing laughs from reporters.

Gore and Soto were traded for each other as part of a 2022 blockbuster that also sent CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III and James Wood from San Diego to Washington.

“We always go back and forth. Nothing bad or anything. And he got me,” said Gore, who leads the major leagues with 114 strikeouts.

Because of their link from that trade?

“I don’t know. Just some tough at-bats. And he’s super competitive, which is why people like him, why people like watching him,” Gore said. “Threw a bad slider and he hit it out.”

Soto also ripped a pivotal RBI double against his original team and threw out a runner at home plate from right field to help New York rally for a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.

He has four home runs in the past 10 games to give him 12 during his first season with the Mets since signing a record $765 million, 15-year contract as a free agent.

The four-time All-Star, who helped Washington win the 2019 World Series, has reached base safely in each of his last 12 games and is batting .341 with eight RBIs and a 1.225 OPS during that span.

Soto went 3 for 3 with three walks and three runs Sunday in a 13-5 win at Colorado, reaching base six times in a game for the first time in his career.

His first time up Tuesday night, though, Soto saw three straight sliders from Gore and struck out looking against the left-hander.

In the third inning, the five-time Silver Slugger winner got some revenge. He drove a 2-2 slider 373 feet the other way to left-center for a solo homer that shaved New York's deficit to 3-2 — and he jawed in Gore's direction immediately after connecting.

“Just a great swing," Soto said. "Like I said, another mistake. I’m waiting for mistakes. He made a mistake and I put the ball in play.”

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Freelance writer Jerry Beach contributed.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB