Juan Soto’s outing vs. Dodgers earns fans' wrath as Mets lose 7-5

The New York Mets and the LA Dodgers just went to war, but record signee Juan Soto had nothing but a walk to contribute in five hitless plate appearances on Friday night in front of home fans.

Soto's dull outing allowed the Dodgers to snatch the game away from the Mets in extra innings. Before the Dodgers won the game 7-5 in the 13th inning, the home team tied the game 5-5 after a three-run ninth inning comeback.

Fans blamed the 15-year, $765 million Mets outfielder who couldn't turn up with a hit one single time. The Mets needed his offense on Friday, but Soto couldn't live up to the expectations despite being in scoring positions, especially in the ninth inning.

"It is time to let the boos rain down on Juan Soto," one fan wrote.

"CITI FIELD IS REIGNING IN BOOS AS JUAN SOTO POPS OUT IN THE 9TH INNING WITH A RUNNER ON BASE," another fan commented.

"$800M for Juan Soto might go down as the worst contract in the history of sports," another fan added.

"Juan Soto sucks," one fan posted.

"What’s wrong with this f**k? It’s worse than Bernie Madoff at this point," another fan commented.

"Do the Mets consider trading him to the Yomiuri Giants frank? You have ro start wondering," another fan wants Soto out of Queens.

Juan Soto struggling against teams that went to war for him in free agency

Soto piqued the interest of almost all big-market teams in the offseason, including the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox. While the Mets landed him, Soto is not living up to the expectations in his first tour against these big-market clubs after the record signing.

He was humbled in his return to Yankee Stadium as the Bronx Bombers restricted him to just one hit in 10 plate appearances, along with four walks. The Mets lost that series.

In the next series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Soto managed two hits in 10 at-bats along with two walks. The Mets dropped that series as well.

On Friday, the Mets dropped their third straight series opener, and Soto is partly to blame. The outfielder is hitting only .236, along with eight home runs and six stolen bases on the season. Soto needs to turn around his fortunes so that the Mets have a better shot at winning against tough opponents like the Dodgers.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra