Soto keeps climbing the teenage ladder (6-6 in 10th)

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

September 11, 2018, 4:40pm

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PHILADELPHIA - Juan Soto keeps climbing up the Major League Baseball teenage ladder.

Soto launched a two-run homer off Jake Arrieta in the top of the fourth tonight, his 17th home run of the season, which leaves him in some exclusive company.

The Nationals rookie outfielder, who won't turn 20 until October 25, is now fourth all-time in major league homers by a teenager, having passed Ken Griffey Jr. tonight. The only players ahead of him: Tony Conigliaro (24 in 1964), teammate Bryce Harper (22 in 2012) and Mel Ott (19 from 1926-28).

Throw in his second-inning double down the right field line to score Anthony Rendon, and Soto has been responsible for all three of the Nationals' runs so far tonight against Arrieta. His 59 RBIs also are fourth-most for any teenager in major league history, topped only by three guys who played prior to 1936: Phil Cavaretta (82), Ott (77) and George Davis (73).

Soto has staked the Nationals to a 3-0 lead, also made possible by Tanner Roark, who has tossed four scoreless innings on only 46 pitches to begin his evening.

Roark has scattered three hits, hasn't walked a batter and has two strikeouts.

Update: Well, this game turned in a hurry. Up 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the Nats wound up down 5-3 after a flurry of hits off Roark. The Phillies produced seven of them, in fact, during the course of the five-run rally, four in a row with two outs. Davey Martinez finally pulled his starter after that and turned to Tim Collins to get out of the inning, but the damage was done. The Nationals will need to rally to come back and win this one.

Update II: You're not going to believe it, but this game is tied 6-6 and going to extra innings. The Phillies tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Nats stormed back to tie it with three runs in the top of the ninth. Then despite loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies couldn't get the winning run home. And so, more than eight hours after this doubleheader began, they're still playing baseball at Citizens Bank Park.