QUEENS, NY — Pete Alonso hit his third home run in four games and Juan Soto picked up his first Citi Field RBI as a member of the Mets in his home debut during a three-run sixth inning as New York defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 in their home opener on Friday afternoon.
“I think this was a really good experience and a great start,” Soto said. “It feels great. This fan base is amazing. I said in the past I didn’t realize how many Mets fans there are and how passionate they are. It was really cool.”
Tylor Megill and the Mets’ bullpen combination of Reed Garrett, AJ Minter, and Max Kranick blanked the Jays, who entered Friday leading the American League East at 5-2, while allowing just four hits.
Megill went 5.1 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits with four strikeouts and three walks as his trend of strong early-season starts continues. He has allowed just one earned run in his first two starts of 2025.
“He’s keeping it simple,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of his starter. “He’s attacking hitters. I thought he used all of his pitches in a good way, whether it was the fastball, the breaking ball, the slider, but I think it comes down to throwing strikes and staying on the attack. He slowed the game down, made pitches when he needed to.”
The Mets (4-3) jumped on Kevin Gausman early, as Alonso punctuated his return to Citi Field after an uncertain winter in free agency with a two-run blast with one out in the first inning.
Francisco Lindor set the table for Alonso when he punched the first pitch of the day the other way to left-center. While he riskily attempted to stretch the easy single into a double — the throw to second beat him comfortably — a swim slide allowed him to avoid Andres Gimenez’s tag safely.
“I tried in spring training and it didn’t really work,” Lindor said. “I was hoping I was able to push myself up with my right hand so I can avoid the tag because I knew [Gimenez] was going to go more toward the middle of the base. I knew he didn’t tag me, so I’m glad it worked out in taht moment because in that moment, I was always going to be out. But it worked out.”
After Soto popped up in the first at-bat in his new home after signing a 15-year deal to join the Mets over the winter, Alonso took a 1-2 fastball low and away and punched it 377 feet over the right-field fence to put the Mets up a pair.
“[Gausman] made a good pitch,” Alonso said. “I think it was probably two balls off the dish, and I was just trying to hit a hard line drive and spoil the at-bat because he made a pitcher’s pitch. I’m just happy I put a good swing on it and made good enough contact to hit the ball hard and thankfully, it carried out of the yard.”
Gausman, who threw 31 pitches in the first inning alone and was bailed out when Starling Marte lined into a double play, settled to retire 14 in a row to see the sixth inning.
Megill kept up with Gausman’s zeroes, until the sixth inning, when he walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander with one out. Manager Carlos Mendoza gave him the hook and called in Reed Garrett, who got out of the jam by striking out Gimenez and Alejandro Kirk.
The Mets finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth after Gausman got the hook. Off Blue Jays lefty reliever Mason Fluharty, Soto picked up his first Citi Field RBI as a Met with a double down the right-field line that scored Lindor from first.
“It’s great when you break the other team’s plan,” Soto said. “They brought in the lefty to face me to try and get a ground ball or something. When you come through in a big situation like that, it’s always great. I’m glad I was able to put the ball in play and try to give Lindor a chance to score.”
After an intentional walk to Alonso, Nimmo took the first pitch he saw and ripped it into right field for a double that scored Soto and moved Alonso to third. Fluharty’s day lasted just three pitches, where he was charged with two doubles and a walk.
Starling Marte made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly off Jacob Barnes.
