NEW YORK – Mets right fielder Juan Soto continues to swing a hot bat, and it proved to be the difference in a 12-6 victory over the Nationals at Citi Field on Friday night.

With the victory, New York remains two games ahead of the Reds for the third and final NL Wild Card spot.

This was a game that went back and forth. Washington had a 4-1 head after 2 1/2 innings against right-hander Brandon Sproat thanks to some sloppy Mets defense. But after he pitched just four innings, Sproat received a no-decision once New York took a lead it would never relinquish.

The Mets started chipping away in the third. With Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez on the mound, they cut Washington’s lead to 4-2 when Francisco Lindor scored on a single by Pete Alonso.

In the following frame, the Mets sco

See Full Page