After All-Star snubs, Mets enjoying with goal as they face Orioles

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto might be trying to prove a point this week after he was bypassed for selection to next week’s MLB All-Star Game.

“He’s an All-Star for us,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.

He’ll have another chance to put his talents on display Wednesday night when the Mets meet the host Baltimore Orioles for the second game of a three-game series.

The Mets have won five of six games following Tuesday night’s 7-6, 10-inning comeback victory in the series opener. Soto had three hits, including the go-ahead single in the 10th.

It was another game with late-game production for the Mets.

“Before you know it, we’re right back in the game,” Mendoza said. “Offensively, on a night where the first four or five innings we were pretty quiet, I thought we made some good adjustments and obviously the at-bats got better.”

The Orioles were trying to get to a four-game winning streak for the second time this season. That added to the frustration of seeing a four-run lead vanish late in the game.

“It stings, there’s no doubt,” Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “I think you constantly go back to your preparation, your process. Did we do everything right? Did we get the guys in the right spots? I feel like we did. It just wasn’t our night.”

It was yet another example of the inability of the Orioles to sustain their momentum this season.

“I think there’s been games over the last couple of weeks that we probably should have won,” Baltimore first baseman Ryan O’Hearn said. “(Tuesday night) feels like one of them right now, definitely disappointing.”

The Mets have been receiving widespread contributions, which had Mendoza mentioning others who might be deserving for the mid-summer showcase. That includes outfielder Brandon Nimmo, whose 53 RBIs are one more than Soto.

“(Nimmo has) been locked in for the past month or so,” Mendoza said. “Talking about All-Stars, he deserves to be in the conversation.”

Meanwhile, the Orioles like what they’re getting from infielder Jackson Holliday, who homered again Tuesday night.

“He’s just a talented kid,” Mansolino said. “I don’t think he’s up there trying to hit home runs to the opposite field. I think he just has a really good approach.”

Left-hander David Peterson (6-4, 3.18 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets, who lost three straight games in his starts until last Thursday’s 3-2 victory over the Brewers. He held Milwaukee to two runs (one earned) in 6 2/3 innings.

This will mark the fifth road assignment in a seven-outing stretch for Peterson. After picking up the win in his season debut at Miami, the Mets have gone 0-7 in road games in which Peterson has started.

In four career matchups with the Orioles, he’s 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA covering 16 2/3 innings.

Baltimore will turn to right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (6-5, 4.44 ERA), who will be coming off a week-long layoff. He was dinged for six runs and a season-high 10 hits in last Wednesday’s 6-0 loss at Texas.

Sugano has surrendered at least one home run in four consecutive games and seven total long balls during that span.

–Field Level Media