In the bottom of the fifth inning of Friday’s 5-4 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, Juan Soto took the mound amid a 2-for-24 slide at the plate to a standing ovation from New York Mets fans. And Soto delivered a game-tying RBI single in the final triumph, rewarding the trust of Mets supporters.
And Soto, who was asked how it felt to receive the standing ovation following Sunday’s triumph, seems to have been inspired by the adoration from Mets fans.
Soto remarked, “It’s a great feeling,” It’s a wonderful sensation. It’s simply amazing to have a fan following that stands by you both in your good and bad times. I am truly grateful for their actions. It seems to me that they are unaware of the significance of that. When they do that, I believe it means a lot to the players. It feels quite unique.
Soto said that the gesture caught him off guard.
“I thought, ‘Why are they standing up and cheering?’ after my first at-bat. That is somewhat thrilling. I truly like it.
Did Soto get an adrenaline rush from the ovation?
“Yeah 100%,” replied Soto. “I think that’s how all players feel. The playoffs are similar to this as well. I think it gives you a little more drive, energy, and adrenaline when you’re in a playoff race and you see the crowd going crazy every time you step up to the plate. You want to finish it, then.
Even Soto was complaining that he was being pitched to differently without New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge at his side during a home run slump earlier in April. However, it appears that things are moving in the correct direction. Soto has five hits and five RBI since Friday night’s applause.
That’s definitely accomplishing it.
