The New York Mets found a way to beat the Braves 7-6 in extra innings on July 6, 2026, but it was not a clean performance. Juan Soto’s three-run home run and Luis Torrens’ game-winning double in the tenth inning did the damage, while the Mets’ defence again left enough questions to keep the game interesting right to the end.
It was the kind of division contest that reminded everyone how thin the margins can be. The Mets won the second series of the season against their rivals, but they also extended their run of extra-inning games to 14 this year, which says plenty about how often they are being pushed deep into games.
Soto gives the Mets the lift they needed
The big swing came from Soto, who delivered a three-run home run and changed the tone of the night. In tight games like this, one moment can swing the whole mood of a dugout, and that is exactly what happened here.
The Braves had already shown they were not going away. Matt Olson answered with a home run over right field in the third inning, and the game kept asking questions of the Mets from that point on. That is why Soto’s power was so important: it gave the Mets a lead they could try to protect, even if the protection was not always convincing.
Torrens finishes it in the tenth
By the time the game reached the tenth inning, the pressure had shifted again. Luis Torrens stepped in and hit the winning double, bringing home the decisive run and ending the contest at 7-6.
That is the mark of a team that can survive when it has to. The Mets were not perfect, and the defence was not good, but they still found the key hits when the game demanded them. Jim Jarvis also played his part earlier, driving in a run in the second inning for his first major-league RBI, while Carson Benge opened the scoring with a home run into centre field in the top of the second.
For the Mets, the encouraging part is obvious: they beat a division rival and did it in a game where their best hitters made the difference. The concern is just as clear: a team going to extra innings this often is living close to the edge. The next meeting will tell us whether this was the kind of win that settles them, or simply another night that shows how much work still remains.
