Juan Soto’s season is off to the perfect start.
Soto lifted the New York Yankees to a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday, which completed a four-game sweep over the Astros to kick off the season. Soto had three hits and a clutch RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to secure the one-run win for the Yankees at Minute Maid Park.
“That’s the kind of start I wanted,” Soto said after the win, via The Associated Press. “I grinded really hard this offseason and in spring training to be successful in the beginning of the season.”
Soto joined the Yankees this past offseason through a trade with the San Diego Padres in what ended up being a seven-player deal. That trade seems to have paid off for the Yankees immediately. Soto sparked a rally to lift the Yankees out of a 4-0 hole in their season opener on Thursday, and then he made a perfect play to throw Mauricio Dubón out at the plate to secure a 5-4 win in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Yankees then beat the Astros 7-1 on Friday and 5-3 on Saturday before wrapping up the four-game sweep on Sunday. In total, Soto has gone 9-for-17 at the plate with four RBI in four games this season. The Yankees have gone 4-0 to start the season for the first time since 2003, and just the fourth time since 1950.
The Astros, on the other hand, are off to their worst start to a season since the 2011 campaign. They’ve lost nine straight games at Minute Maid Park dating back to last season, and they’ve lost seven straight to the Yankees.
José Altuve hit a home run in the third inning for the Astros on Sunday, and then both Kyle Tucker and Yainer Díaz drove in runs in the sixth inning to tie the game back up. That’s what set up Soto’s game-winning hit.
“I like the fight,” Astros manager Joe Espada said, via The Associated Press. “That’s what it’s all about. Give yourself a chance. You fight to the last out of the game and if you do that you’re going to find yourself in a good spot to win games.”
The Yankees will now head to Arizona for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks starting on Monday. They’ll have their home opener on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
While it’s still incredibly early, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is more than happy with what he’s seen from his newest star so far this season. We’ll see how long both he and the Yankees can keep that trend alive.
“It just put a bow on the series of what we saw in his at-bats,” Boone said.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
