Juan Soto 'all-in' on move into Mets' leadoff spot: 'Anything to help the team out'

Juan Soto had only batted in the leadoff spot three times in his big-league career prior to this week.

But when Carlos Mendoza approached him with the idea of moving him there to set the tone for the shorthanded Mets offense, he was all-in.

"I told him right away, whatever he wants," Soto said. "Wherever he wants me I'll be there -- anything I can do to help the team out, I'm going to be open to it."

Soto went hitless in his return to the spot on Monday, but he was able to do some damage against Michael Lorenzen to open the ballgame Wednesday night.

Just three pitches into the game, he crushed a low-and-away curveball 435 feet to left-center for a solo blast.

It was the first leadoff homer of Soto's career.

"It's great," he said. "To be able to punch first in the first inning with the team is always great -- it gets the guys going and helps the starter sit and breathe a little starting the game with the lead, it's definitely great."

That was Soto's only hit in the ballgame, but he did drive in another run with a sacrifice fly as the bottom of the Mets' order got things going this time in the middle innings.

New York struck for three in the fourth, four in the sixth, and two in the ninth in a much-needed 10-run outburst.

The five-through-nine hitters combined to produce 10 of the team's 15 hits, while scoring eight runs and driving in five.

Carson Benge continued to show more confidence with two of those knocks and RBIs, but Marcus Semien spearheaded the effort by producing the Mets' first four-hit game of the season.

"Marcus is starting to take some better at-bats," Soto said. "He's a great player, a great hitter, and you can tell he's starting to find his rhythm at the plate.

"It's always great to have the bottom of the lineup producing and helping the top of the lineup have some breathing room -- it's great to see the comes come through like that."

Soto did appear to have a bit of an injury scare, but he told Carlos Mendoza right away that he was fine.

will look to complete their first series sweep since the beginning of April with taking the ball for the third time this season on Thursday afternoon.