Juan Soto strikes out in big ninth-inning spot to end Mets’ Opening Day letdown

HOUSTON — The great anticipated liftoff became a failure to launch for the Mets on Thursday.

A dream lineup that included Juan Soto for the first time was neutered by Framber Valdez, and the Mets’ usual Opening Day magic couldn’t be found deep in the heart of Texas.

Held to six singles, the Mets lost 3-1 to the Astros at Daikin Park for the team’s sixth loss in the past 20 season openers.

Overall, the Mets are 41-23 on Opening Day — still by far an MLB best.

Soto reached base three times in his Mets debut — twice by walk — as he officially began a 15-year, $765 million marathon.

The All-Star outfielder struck out against Josh Hader to end the game with the tying runs on base.

The Mets’ frustrations included leaving the bases loaded following three straight walks against Bryan Abreu in the eighth.

Abreu rallied to retire Brandon Nimmo on a line drive to center.

In the ninth, Luisangel Acuña’s 12-pitch at-bat against Hader that culminated in a walk highlighted a rally that produced the Mets’ only run on Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly.

Soto, with runners on first and third, went ahead 3-0 in the count against Hader before the lefty rallied for the strikeout — getting Soto to chase strike three.

Clay Holmes, who transitioned from a reliever to starter in spring training, worked into the fifth inning and allowed three earned runs.

A former Yankees reliever, Holmes started a regular-season game for the first time since 2018 with the Pirates.

Holmes loaded the bases in the second inning and allowed a run on Jake Meyers’ RBI fielder’s choice.

But the hurler escaped further trouble by striking out Jose Altuve on a sinker after working the count full.

Jeremy Peña was drilled by a pitch to start the rally before Cam Smith singled in his first MLB at-bat and Brendan Rodgers walked to load the bases.

In the third, Holmes walked Isaac Paredes leading off before consecutive singles from Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz extended the Astros’ lead to 2-0.

Peña’s ensuing grounder could have been an inning-ending double play, but Acuña threw away the relay, allowing Walker to score.

Holmes allowed two singles in the fourth but escaped as Pete Alonso managed to keep his foot on the bag to complete an inning-ending double play when Acuña’s relay throw on Paredes’ grounder to Mark Vientos sailed.

Luis Torrens committed a sin in the fifth by getting nailed at third base to end the inning on a ball in the dirt that caromed off the back wall to the catcher Diaz.

It left Soto standing at the plate.

Torrens had reached on a bloop double with one out in the inning.

Diaz walked with two outs in the fifth to end Holmes’ day.

Overall, the right-hander allowed three earned runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

He was removed after 89 pitches.

Huascar Brazobán recorded the final out in the frame.

Alonso singled against Valdez in the sixth, but Vientos’ sharply hit grounder turned into a 6-4-3 double play that ended the inning.

The Mets had their best chance against Valdez, who pitched six shutout innings, in the first after Soto singled in his first official plate appearance with the Mets and Vientos walked.

But Nimmo and Starling Marte were retired in succession to end the threat.

Brazobán helped preserve the bullpen by pitching 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit and one walk.

The right-hander was on the bubble for a spot on the Opening Day roster right until spring training’s conclusion.