The New York Mets continued their winning streak with a 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker delivered back-to-back home runs in the first inning, sealing the win for the Mets. This loss marks the White Sox’s 106th defeat of the season, tying a franchise record set in 1970.
The White Sox (31-106) are now on a nine-game losing streak, equalling their all-time worst record. Since the All-Star break, their performance has been dismal with a 4-35 record. They are on track to surpass the modern major league record for most losses in a season, which is currently held by the 1962 Mets with 120 losses.
ESPN Stats & Information reports that the White Sox’s winning percentage of .226 is on pace to become the lowest in American League history, potentially surpassing the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics’ record of .235.
White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore commented, “A lot of things have been going against us. We need a break to lift the morale in the clubhouse.”
The Mets (72-64) have now won three games in a row and are just two games behind Atlanta for the final NL wild card spot. New York is enjoying its best stretch of the season, winning eight of their last 12 games and reaching eight games over .500 for the first time this year.
Alonso’s two-run homer off Davis Martin was his 30th of the season, marking the fifth time in his six major league seasons he has hit 30 or more home runs. He is now third on the Mets’ all-time home run list with 222 homers. Alonso’s impressive career includes a notable 16 home runs in the shortened 2020 season.
Winker also contributed significantly with three hits and two RBIs, mirroring his performance from the previous game. Alonso added a single and scored twice.
For the White Sox, Andrew Benintendi had two hits, while Gavin Sheets, Miguel Vargas, and Corey Julks each drove in a run.
In the ninth inning, Mets’ reliever Jose Butto, filling in for closer Edwin Diaz, had a shaky outing. He allowed a double by Vargas and singles by Jacob Amaya and Luis Robert Jr., but managed to secure his third save by retiring Benintendi on a comebacker.
Sizemore acknowledged his team’s perseverance, saying, “They are not quitting. They are not folding. But it would be nice to see some of those balls fall, to get some bleeders or something.”
