"Feels great to give the lead to my team every time" - Juan Soto reflects on hitting 'majestic' go-ahead homer during Yankees' 16-5 win over Blue Jays
Juan Soto and the New York Yankees achieved a terrific 16-5 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Friday night game saw the Yankees bounce back after a four-day losing streak.
Soto recorded two hits on four at-bats with three runs, three RBIs one walk with no strikeouts. The Yankees started the game trailing the Blue Jays 1-3 by the fifth inning.
In the sixth inning, Juan Soto gave his team a lead by hitting a 396-foot homer, his 20th of the season, off pitcher Yusei Kikuchi bringing in three runs. Discussing about the hit in a Yes Network interview, Soto said:
(from 0:42 mark onward)
“I mean it feels great. It feels great to get the lead to my team every time. I was just you know, it’s a great pitcher on the mound and just try to relax, try to make a good contact then at the end of the day, I got the homer. But yeah the more important thing is like get the lead and put our team in a good spot.”
J.D. Davis hit a RBI double in the sixth inning bringing in a run. Shortly after, Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer, his eighth of the season, making the score 7-3.
The Yankees' offense brought in two more runs in the eighth inning but showcased their real prowess in the ninth, scoring seven runs in a single inning.
Juan Soto reflects on Aaron Judge’s baserunning play in 4th inning
Soto scored the first run for the Yankees in the fourth inning on J.D. Davis' groundout. However, that run might not have been possible without Judge's baserunning play, where he avoided a potential double play.
Here's a clip of the play shared by Talkin' Yanks on X:
Judge delayed the opposing team's players on the bases long enough for Soto to advance from second to third base and even score a run at home plate. Discussing the play in the same interview, Soto said:
(from 0:16 mark onward)
“I mean that was a great play by him. You know it’s my play, don’t get tag, tried to make the run down and give me a chance to score… It was a really smart play by him and allows me to score.”
The New York Yankees face the Toronto Blue Jays again on Saturday in the third game of their four-game series.