If you thought Juan Soto’s first regular-season game with the Yankees was terrific, make room for his pinstriped playoff debut.
Soto collected three hits and threw out a runner at home plate Saturday as the Yankees beat the Royals, 6-5, in Game 1 of the ALDS in The Bronx.
“The fans showed up today,” Soto said. “It was electric.”
Not long after receiving a loud ovation during pregame roster warm-ups — 48,970 fans aren’t going to miss a chance to re-court the 25-year-old soon-to-be free agent at this point — Soto doubled down the left-field line in the first inning.
When the Yankees failed to score after putting runners on second and third with no outs, Soto kept the game scoreless by cutting down Salvador Perez at home plate.
It was a big moment to steady ace Gerrit Cole, who allowed loud contact in the first two innings.
“I know Perez is not that fast, so I just tried to make sure I made a great throw. Don’t try to overthrow it or anything – make an accurate throw,” Soto said. “I was pretty far [deep]. You expect anything in the playoffs. Right when I threw it, I saw him and I’m like, ‘Ok, I have a shot.’”
Added manager Aaron Boone, “They’re set up big time right there if they score that run. That was a big play.”
There were shades of when Soto threw out the would-be tying run in the ninth inning against the Astros on Opening Day.
He also had an RBI single that started the season-opening comeback to turn a 4-0 deficit into a 5-4 win.
It also was a forecast for a career-best 41-home run regular season. Massive free-agent payday all but sealed.
“He goes up there, it doesn’t matter who is pitching for the other team,” catcher Austin Wells said. “He’s going to get on base – and if he doesn’t, he’s going to be a tough out. He really wears out pitching staffs. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Soto didn’t score a run or knock in a run Saturday, but he was in the middle of two scoring rallies.
“We showed today that we aren’t trying to be selfish,” Soto said. “We are trying to pass the baton, take our walks. We aren’t trying to hit five-run homers.”
Soto singled in the fifth when the Yankees tied the score and took a 4-3 lead on a pair of bases-loaded walks. He later backed Alex Verdugo’s sixth-inning leadoff walk with a single that moved Verdugo into scoring position for Wells to deliver the two-out RBI single that tied the score at 5-5.
It’s no surprise to see Soto coming up big in the postseason. He picked up teammate Aaron Judge on a hitless night.
One of the reasons the blockbuster offseason trade for Soto – even in the scary proposition where he is a one-year rental – was a no-brainer is that he has the playoff pedigree. He had a 1.178 OPS as a 21-year-old in the seven-game 2019 World Series won by his Nationals.
