Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning as the New York Mets defeated the struggling White Sox 5-3 on Saturday night, giving Chicago its 106th loss and tying a franchise record.
The Mets (72-64) won their third game in a row and are now just two games behind Atlanta for the final NL wild card spot. New York has won eight of their last 12 games and is eight games over .500 for the first time this season.
“We’re in a good spot and we will continue to bring it every day, again, one day at a time, one series at a time,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
The White Sox (31-106) lost their ninth straight game, matching their record for most defeats in a season set in 1970. Chicago has gone 4-35 since the All-Star break and is on pace to break the modern major league record for most losses, which is 120 set by the 1962 Mets.
“A lot of things have been going against us,” White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “We need that break just to kind of help the morale in that clubhouse.”
Alonso’s two-run homer off Davis Martin was his 30th of the season, making it five seasons out of six that he has hit 30 or more home runs, all with the Mets. He finished with 16 home runs in 57 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
The 29-year-old Alonso is third on the Mets’ career list with 222 homers and has hit three in his last five games. He also added a single and scored twice in this game.
Winker, who joined the Mets from Washington in late July, has enjoyed hitting alongside Alonso. “Electric. What a hitter,” Winker said. “So much power. It’s been really fun.”
Winker had three hits for the second straight game and drove in two runs. He has eight hits in his last 11 at-bats after going 3-for-3 on Saturday.
“I’m just trying to get the barrel on the ball and keep things simple and just hit it hard somewhere,” Winker said. “It’s the best time of the year. Definitely excited and I like our chances a lot.”
Andrew Benintendi had two hits for Chicago, and Gavin Sheets, Miguel Vargas, and Corey Julks drove in runs.
Mets starter Jose Quintana (7-9) gave up two runs — one earned — and six hits in five innings to win for the first time since July 29.
The left-hander struggled at times, walking three and striking out six, before reaching 98 pitches and being replaced by Huascar Brazobán in the sixth inning. “He had to battle today, but he found a way to give us five,” Mendoza said.
Brazobán, Ryne Stanek, and Phil Maton combined for three hitless innings out of the Mets’ bullpen. José Buttó pitched a shaky ninth inning in place of closer Edwin Díaz, who was rested after pitching the previous three days.
Buttó allowed a double by Vargas and singles by Jacob Amaya and Luis Robert Jr., giving up one run. With two runners on base, Buttó retired Benintendi on a comebacker for his third save.
“They are not quitting. They are not folding,” Sizemore said about his team. “But it would be nice to have some of those balls fall, to get some bleeders or something.” Martin (0-3) gave up four runs and five hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.
Alonso hit the first pitch he saw from Martin, a high slider, to the left-center bleachers for an early 2-0 lead. Winker then hit his 13th home run to right-center, as the Mets went back-to-back for the fifth time this season.
The White Sox reduced the lead to 3-1 in the second inning with Vargas’ RBI groundout. Winker singled in a run in the third inning to make it 4-1. Sheets’ RBI single made it 4-2 in the bottom half.
Starling Marte drove in a run off Gus Varland in the New York sixth inning. Julks’ groundout brought in a run in the ninth inning.
