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LEXINGTON, Ky. — If the Hagerstown Suns are winning, it's a good bet Juan Soto has something to do with it.
The Suns pulled out a 5-3 win over Lexington on Saturday night, and the right fielder was front and center in the picture.
Soto hit a three-run homer to cap Hagerstown's four-run seventh as the Suns erased a one-run deficit. It was the Suns' fifth win of the season for their first two-game winning streak of the year.
Soto has played in four of Hagerstown's five wins, going 10 for 16 (.625) with three home runs and 14 RBIs. Considered the Washington Nationals' second-best prospect, he is carrying a .389 average with five homers and 24 RBIs in 14 games.
Saturday's blast couldn't have come at a better time.
The Suns (5-11) entered the seventh trailing 2-1 before scoring four runs with two outs in the inning.
Aldrem Corredor hit a one-out single to start the rally against Lexington reliever Andres Sotillet (0-2). He took second on a balk with two outs and scored on Luis Garcia's single to center.
Yasel Antuna followed with an infield singled that remained in front of the plate to set up Soto, who launched a drive to left for his fifth homer of the season and a 5-2 Suns lead.
Lexington (9-7) picked up a run in the ninth off Suns reliever A.J. Bogucki (1-0). Seuly Matias led off with a home run before Bogucki struck out the side to finish the game.
Lexington scored single runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead against Hagerstown starter Carlos Acevedo. Nick Pratto had an RBI single in the first and M.J. Melendez Jr. homered in the second to give the Legends an early 2-0 advantage.
The Suns got one of the runs back in the fourth against Lexington starter Jasner Lara when Soto led off with a triple and scored on Nick Banks' one-out single to left.
Hagerstown hit Sotillet with four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven times. Lara allowed a run on three hits in 3 1/3 innings. Lexington finished with seven hits, led by Pratto and Matias with two hits and an RBI each.
Bogucki pitched five innings, allowing a run on two hits while striking out five. Acevedo left after four innings, allowing two runs on five hits with one strikeout.
Garcia had three of the Suns' hits and an RBI. Antuna, Soto, Banks and Corredor added two hits each.
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