Juan Sotos recent Mets hot streak hits snag with 0-for-5 night

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.Juan Soto ended the Mets’ 6-5 loss to the Cubs on Saturday night with a grounder to second, completing an 0-for-5 night for the slugger.He’s gotten away from hitting the ball on the ground as much as he did earlier in the season, and the change helped spark a recent hot streak that wasn’t on display versus Chicago.

Hitting coach Eric Chávez knows it’s those ground balls that can make Soto look mortal.“Everyone’s got a bugaboo and his has always been hitting the ball on the ground,’’ Chávez said of Soto before the game.“That’s been his miss.

It’s a give and take with what he does well.He has a flat swing and sometimes that happens when the ball is going down and he hits the top of the ball.

He’s done it his whole career.Even playing against him, we knew that about ground balls.”The solution: Nothing.“You don’t change anything,’’ Chávez said.

“To be honest with you, he’s just more comfortable.There was nothing wrong with his swing.

You can tell by his body language, not as a coach, but as a person, you can see he’s more comfortable.”And there’s no way to rush that process.“Everyone has to go through that themselves,’’ Chávez said.“People say, ‘He signed an $800 million contract, he should get a hit every at-bat.

That’s not reality.He made a big decision to come here [from the Yankees].

I know it’s only 20 minutes away [from The Bronx], but it’s night and day.It’s completely different.

Of course, it took time to adjust.”After seeing teams swipe bases against them at an alarming rate early last season, the Mets brought in Luis Torrens and his defensive prowess helped turn that part of their game.Still, the Mets allowed the fifth-most steals in the majors.So far this season, with Francisco Alvarez having improved that part of his game, the Mets have thrown out...