After taking two out of three games from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the New York Mets headed to the Windy City to conclude their long road trip with a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox.
Andrew Benintendi gave the black and white an early 1-0 lead in game one, but that would be the only time a White Sox would cross the plate as the Mets went on to win 5-1 thanks to a three-hit game from Jesse Winker and a two-run shot by JD Martinez.
Back-to-back first-inning home runs from Winker and Pete Alonso would get the blue and orange going in game two, and they would win 5-3.
Franciso Lindor’s fourth-inning home runs would be all the Mets would need in game three as the pitching staff shut out the White Sox and secured the sweep with a 2-0 victory.
3 Takeaways from the Mets’ series sweep over the Chicago White Sox
Jesse Winker is heating up at the right time
Winker hasn’t quite exploded like the blue and orange would have hoped when they acquired him from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline, but the New York native is heating up. The 31-year-old went six-for-nine against the White Sox with a home run, a double and three RBIs. If Winker can stay hot at the dish, he should be a mainstay in the lineup down the stretch.
Sean Manaea continues to marvel
Sean Manaea is setting himself up to get paid this offseason and continues to marvel every time he toes the rubber. Manaea threw seven scoreless innings against the White Sox while allowing just four base runners (two hits and two walks) while striking out five. The Indiana native has been the Mets’ best pitcher lately and should be viewed as the staff’s best arm for the remainder of the campaign.
Mark Vientos may just be the team MVP
While Lindor may be getting all the attention, and rightfully so, there is an argument that the Mets aren’t in playoff contention without Mark Vientos. Vientos went five-for-11 against the White Sox with an RBI and also walked twice. The 24-year-old is becoming a franchise cornerstone player and will continue to play a crucial role in the season’s final month.
