Juan Soto swung his bat and felt it send a ball against the barrel, allowing himself a moment to take in a drive destined for the right-field seats. Looking toward the dugout, he flipped his bat and shouted, inviting his teammates to enjoy the ride.
The “Soto Show’’ continues to attract spectators nighly in the Bronx, where Juan has been greatly advertised. His three-run homer showed a five-run seventh-inning outburst as the New York Yankees secured a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
Soto also delivered a leaping grab in the third inning, robbing Richie Palacios of an extra-base hit. No wonder he got a standing ovation and cries of “M-V-P!’’ as he mounted his defensive position in the eighth, with New York hoping to entice the pending free agent to stay long-term.
Silent through the first six frames, the Yankees exploited two Tampa Bay mistakes in the seventh, with second baseman Curtis Mead and first baseman Yandy Diaz committing miscues.
Oswaldo Cabrera’s run-scoring bouncer zapped past Diaz to tie the game, and Anthony Volpe snapped a 0-for-14 skid with a run-scoring single off Chris Devenski. This was before Soto crushed his fifth homer of the season, reaching the second deck in right field with a Statcast-calculated 409-foot blast.
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