World Series bright lights no concern for electric Soto

HOUSTON - When he arrived at Minute Maid Park Monday evening for the first time in his life, Juan Soto couldn't help but be tantalized by the tall, out-of-town scoreboard wall that sits a mere 315 feet away down the left field line.

The young outfielder, who turns 21 on Friday, started attacking the wall during batting practice, hitting balls off and over the scoreboard, recognizing this ballpark might just be a perfect fit for his offensive approach.

"Last couple of days, we've been working on it," Soto said. "Tried to keep staying that way, hit the ball to the other way, middle of the way. Try to hit the ball as deep as I can, and just hit it."

One at-bat into his World Series career - a three-pitch strikeout at the hands of Astros ace Gerrit Cole to strand a runner in scoring position - Soto had to start thinking more about simply making contact than aiming for a certain part of the wall.

But once he had that one at-bat under his belt, he stepped to the plate with renewed confidence. And was able to go back to his original plan and hit the ball hard to left field.

By night's end, Soto had figured it out and then some. He homered off the train tracks high above the wall, then followed that with a two-out, two-run double that clanked off the green-painted metal that makes up the scoreboard. And then for good measure, he added another single (again, to the opposite field) and a stolen base in his final at-bat to cap a most impressive World Series debut.

"I mean, that's Juan being Juan," manager Davey Martinez said. "He has to hit the ball all over the field. He's really good at staying behind balls and hitting the ball to left-center field, left field. And he was really good tonight."

Historically good. In going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Soto became the youngest player in major league history to both homer and double in a World Series game. And his hits were meaningful, making a huge difference in the Nationals' 5-4 victory over the Astros in Game 1.

The home run, a 417-foot blast that landed alongside the train track that resides high above the ballpark, was exactly the kind of jolt the Nats needed after falling behind 2-0 after one inning.

"Have you ever seen an oppo tank up there?" teammate Adam Eaton said. "I mean, they all count, I guess. But we all looked at each other and I think all of us had to check our chins, cause it was jaw-dropping."

Soto's home run came on a 1-0 fastball from Cole, a pitch he fully expected once he saw the big right-hander the first time.

"For me, I was thinking the same thing: Be aggressive on the fastball, and wait for the fastball," he said. "He likes to throw it. He's shown the fastball everywhere. The first couple of innings, he started throwing it and throwing it and throwing it. I was just waiting for that. After the first at-bat I was like: 'He's throwing really hard.' But I just try to sit back and hit the ball all the way."

Which is what he kept doing the rest of the night.

"What Soto was able to do at the dish tonight, he's a special player," ace Max Scherzer said. "He can make adjustments with the best of them, even at 20 years old. He had a special game, and a big reason why we were able to win tonight."

Since he debuted as a 19-year-old only weeks removed from low Single-A ball, Soto has shown an ability to play beyond his years. So nobody on the Nationals roster was surprised when he thrived under the bright spotlight of the first World Series appearance of his career.

"You can always tell the young guys that come up that can slow the game down," 35-year-old Ryan Zimmerman said. "I always say that, and everyone kind of says: 'What does that mean?'

"It means at any moment, at any time, you can take a deep breath and you don't try to do too much and you just stay within yourself. It sounds easy to do, but it's hard to do, even in the regular season for a 20-, 21-year-old, whatever. To be able to do it on this stage, to be able to execute the plan that he had ... he's got a chance to be OK."

Soto has more than a chance of that. Nationals fans have known for two years. Now the rest of the baseball world is discovering what a special talent he is.