“This is the moment” - Juan Soto lays down the marker for “hot” September after 2nd career grand slam vs. Tigers

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto was one of the most dominant hitters in August and the All-Star slugger continued his red-hot form at the plate in Monday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers.

After consecutive defeats against the Miami Marlins, the Mets rode a career night from Juan Soto at Comercia Park to secure a 10-8 win. Soto stepped up at the plate in the fourth inning with the Tigers leading 3-2.

The Dominican slugger, who struck out swinging against Tigers starter Charlie Morton in the second inning, caught hold of his curveball for a Statcast-projected 419-foot home run with the bases loaded.

Following his second career grand slam and a career-high six RBI night, Soto asserted that September is the best time for a team to get "hot."

“These are the moments,” Soto said. “Whoever gets hot in September is the team that goes all the way. … So this is the right time to get hot.”

While Juan Soto's go-ahead grand slam gave the Mets some breathing space in the top of the fourth, the Tigers tied the game after the fifth inning.

Juan Soto comes in clutch in Mets win to impress manager Carlos Mendoza

Juan Soto wasn't done in the game as the All-Star outfielder cashed in on a struggling Drew Sommers in the sixth inning, torching his sinker for a two-run triple, his second go-ahead run of the game.

Soto went 2-for-3 at the plate, contributing with six RBIs to impress Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

“Man, that’s pretty impressive,” Mendoza said. “I don’t think anyone is surprised by it. But when you see it day in and day out for a long period of time, it’s like, ‘Man, this guy can put a team [on his back] and carry it.’ And that’s what he’s doing.”

The former New York Yankees slugger has started September with a bang after a red-hot August where he had 10 home runs, 22 RBIs, 27 runs, 27 walks and 11 stolen bases. He leads the Mets with 36 homers, 104 runs, and a MLB-leading 113 walks.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash