Juan Soto returns, as Mets defeat Astros

Nolan McLean tossed seven innings of two-hit ball and earned the win Saturday for the host New York Mets, who beat the Houston Astros 6-2 in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.

Juan Soto returned from the injured list after sitting out five weeks due to strained left calf and went 1-for-4 with the tie-breaking RBI single in the fifth for the Mets.

Jared Young had three hits and three RBIs, including a two-run triple to close out the fifth-inning rally, as New York improved to 14-11 this month.

The three RBIs were a career-high for Young, who previously had nine two-RBI games.

Francisco Alvarez provided eighth-inning insurance with a two-RBI double. Brett Baty had two hits, while Marcus Semien added two hits and a stolen base.

Yordan Alvarez homered and had a sacrifice fly for the American League West-leading Astros, who fell to 3-2 on their New York road trip. Alvarez also had Houston's only other hit off McLean, a sixth-inning single.

That hit snapped a streak of 11 straight batters retired by McLean (10-8), who gave up an unearned run and issued three walks while striking out four. The only runner who advanced past first against McLean was Jeremy Pena, who laced a leadoff double in the first and advanced to third when Baty misplayed the ball in left before trotting home on Alvarez's fly to right.

The seven innings tied a season high for McLean, who has lasted at least six innings in 13 of his last 15 starts.

Daniel Duarte gave up Alvarez's 436-foot homer to right. Kodai Senga allowed a leadoff double to Jose Altuve in the ninth before retiring the final three batters in a non-save situation.

Bulk reliever Cristian Javier (1-5) took the loss for the Astros after giving up three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out four over 4 1/3 innings.

Bennett Sousa gave up one run on one hit while walking two in two-thirds of an inning as an opener. It was Sousa's first big league start.

--Field Level Media