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HOUSTON — Manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned before Game 1 of a possible 2,430 games to come for Juan Soto as a Met that Soto is human, too. Who knew?

We almost thought Mendoza was kidding after watching Soto hit the Yankees into the World Series last year with his magical at-bat in Cleveland, after seeing him come through seemingly every time the lights were on and especially after almost never witnessing him swing at a bad pitch while compiling an impossible .421 on-base percentage into his age-26 season.

On his first official Day 1 as a Met, Soto was in the midst of a typical Soto-style game when he came to bat in the ninth inning with Astros star closer Josh Hader on the mound, the tying runs on base and the game in the balance.

Soto had already singled in his first Mets at-bat and walked twice before three unlikely Mets hitters loaded the bases in the ninth inning against Hader, who has the distinction of the lowest batting average against him in MLB history, setting the stage for the final confrontation.