Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker provided an early spark for the New York Mets with back-to-back home runs in the first inning, propelling the team to a 5-3 victory over the struggling Chicago White Sox on Saturday night. This loss marked a significant and unfortunate milestone for the White Sox, as it was their 106th defeat of the season, tying the franchise record set in 1970.
The White Sox (31-106) have now lost nine consecutive games, a streak that underscores their disastrous post-All-Star break performance. With a 4-35 record since the break, Chicago is not only matching its franchise record for losses but is also dangerously close to breaking the modern major league record for most losses in a season—a dubious distinction currently held by the 1962 New York Mets, who finished with 120 losses.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the White Sox’s dismal .226 winning percentage puts them on track to set another ignominious record: the worst winning percentage in American League history. This would surpass the .235 mark set by the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
“A lot of things have been going against us,” said White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore. “We need that break just to kind of help the morale in that clubhouse.”
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While the White Sox continue to struggle, the Mets (72-64) are moving in the opposite direction. With their third consecutive win, the Mets are now just two games behind Atlanta for the final National League wild card spot. New York has won eight of its last 12 games, climbing to eight games above .500 for the first time this season.
Pete Alonso’s two-run homer off White Sox starter Davis Martin was his 30th of the season, making it the fifth time in his six major league seasons that he has reached the 30-homer mark. The four-time All-Star also had 16 home runs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. At 29 years old, Alonso is quickly climbing the Mets’ all-time leaderboard, now sitting third in franchise history with 222 career home runs.
Jesse Winker, who has been heating up lately, recorded his second consecutive three-hit game, contributing two RBIs to the Mets’ effort. Alonso added a single and scored twice, further solidifying his role as a key player in New York’s playoff push.
On the White Sox side, Andrew Benintendi had two hits, while Gavin Sheets, Miguel Vargas, and Corey Julks each drove in a run. Despite a shaky ninth inning from Mets reliever Jose Butto, who allowed a double by Vargas and singles by Jacob Amaya and Luis Robert Jr., Butto managed to secure the win by retiring Benintendi on a comebacker for his third save of the season.
“They are not quitting. They are not folding,” Sizemore said about his beleaguered team. “But it would be nice to have some of those balls fall, to get some bleeders or something.”
As the White Sox face the remainder of the season, they are not just fighting to avoid breaking records for futility but also to restore some pride in what has been an otherwise forgettable year. Meanwhile, the Mets continue their pursuit of a playoff berth, with Alonso and Winker leading the charge.
