CHICAGO — The Mets received some needed bullpen pitching additions before the trade deadline, but it's the left-handed hitter they acquired that's making the biggest splash recently.
Jesse Winker's performance transforms him from a nice extra into a key member of a lineup that has been searching for a hero.
On Saturday night, the veteran outfielder recorded his third consecutive multi-hit game, including a home run, to lead the Mets to their third straight win against the White Sox, 5-3, at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Mets enter September eight games back from a season-best winning percentage of over .500 and two games behind Atlanta for the No. 3 National League wild card.
The Mets will finish a 10-game, three-city road trip on Sunday, looking to complete a winning streak in the series.
The Mets are 6-3 on the road, including a tough series win in Arizona.
The White Sox are on pace to break the 1962 Mets' unbeaten record (120 losses), but their 106th loss of the season would tie the franchise record set in 1970. Saturday's loss was the team's 39th in 43 games.
Winker went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI on Saturday.
He's 8-for-11 (.720) over his past three games, including a double that gave the Mets the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth inning in Thursday's win over Arizona.
Jose Quintana pitched five innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) on six hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
The left-hander was on the bases a lot through the first three innings, throwing 98 pitches by the end of the fifth inning.
This came after Quintana pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Sunday's game at San Diego, and Jose Butt and Edwin Diaz worked more efficiently to help the Tigers build a 2-0 lead.
On this night, Pete Alonso hit his 30th home run of the season, over the left field fence in the bottom of the first inning to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
A two-out single by Mark Vientos started the counterattack, and then Alonso pounced on a hanging curveball from Davis Martin for his third home run in five games.
Winker followed with a home run to give the Mets their fifth consecutive home run of the year, and his second in a Mets uniform.
Quintana gave up consecutive hits to Corey Lee and Lenin Sosa in the top of the second inning, but a fielder's choice by Miguel Vargas put the White Sox within 3-1.
Jake Amaya then walked to load the bases, but Quintana got out of the jam by striking out Corey Juerks and Luis Robert Jr. in succession.
Winker's one-run single in the third inning gave the Mets a 4-1 lead.
Francisco Lindor's leadoff single and Brandon Nimmo's walk got the momentum going in the inning, before Winker reached base with two outs, giving him his third consecutive multi-hitter.
A passed ball by Francisco Alvarez gave the White Sox an unearned run in the third inning to cut the lead to 4-2.
Quintana allowed a single to leadoff hitter Andrew Benintendi, who advanced to second on a passed ball by Alvarez, and scored on a single by Gavin Sheets.
Starling Marte's RBI single in the sixth inning extended the Mets' lead to 5-2. Alonso and Winker each hit consecutive singles in the inning before Marte smashed one back into the mix.
Huascar Brazovan, Ryne Stanek and Phil Matton all pitched three scoreless innings behind Quintana, with Bhutto allowing one run in the ninth.
