New York Mets continue their hot streak, defeating the Giants 5-3 for their seventh consecutive win

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

The New York Mets have the second-highest payroll in the MLB this season, so we expected them to be among the best. Last offseason, the Mets signed the biggest free agent and one of baseball's best hitters [Juan Soto] to a 15-year, $765 million contract—the largest in MLB history. They also re-signed their first baseman Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million deal after rumors that he could have departed from the team.

Adding Soto has helped deepen the Mets' batting lineup alongside last year's NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Alonso. The Mets have seemed to find their mojo with seven consecutive wins following a seven-game losing streak that kicked off with an 11-4 rout over the Philadelphia Phillies on June 21 when they recorded a staggering seven solo home runs. 

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That was only the fifth time in franchise history that the team scored seven or more home runs in a single game. Ironically, this has happened four times against the Phillies, with the most recent instance occurring on April 11, 2017. The Mets swept the series against the San Francisco Giants, led by shortstop Ronny Mauricio and Soto, who both homered in the seventh inning to give the Mets the lead after the Giants took a 3-2 lead at the end of the fifth.

“We never feel we are out of a game,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, responding to a question about the lineup’s firepower.

Mauricio, 24, showcased his potential star power by going 4 for 4 at bat with two doubles, two RBIs and a game-tying homer that went into Splashtown at Oracle Park, which is considered one of the toughest stadiums to hit a homer.

“He’s been working on his swing, putting everything together to come through,” Soto said.

Soto joined in the fun, hammering home his team leading 25th homer of the season to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Consecutive doubles by Nimmo and Mauricio gave the Mets a safety net to take a 5-3 lead with Mauricio doubling to center to help drive in a run for Luisangel Acuna.

 Soto is tied for 9th in home runs in the league while his teammates Alonso and Lindor rank 17th and 22nd, respectively, making the Mets the only team with three players in the top 25. The Mets have the fifth-best record (14-7) since the calendar month turned to July and rank third in ERA and second in home runs, while ranking in the top 10 in stolen bases and leading the league in stolen base percentage (89.4).

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A Mets team that’s exploring a center fielder in the trade market, such as Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox is slashing just .206/.293/.343 this season but hit .351 with two homers and a .982 OPS over his first 11 games in July. He also has a 38-homer season on his resume and remains a superb defender in center field. 

The Mets currently lead the NL East by 1.5 games over the Phillies in a top heavy National League with teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs having terrific seasons. As the season rolls on, the Mets have the 22nd toughest schedule as teams are starting to surpass the 105-game mark.

They hope to keep the momentum going.