Alonso and Winker hit consecutive HRs as Mets hand White Sox team record-tying 106th loss

CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and the New York Mets beat the skidding White Sox 5-3 on Saturday night, handing Chicago its 106th loss to tie a franchise record.

The Mets (72-64) won their third straight and moved within two games of Atlanta for the final NL wild card. New York has won eight of 12 to climb eight games over .500 for the first time this season.

The White Sox (31-106) dropped their ninth straight to match their mark for most defeats in a season set in 1970. Chicago is 4-35 since the All-Star break and on track to break the modern major league record for most losses — 120 by the expansion 1962 Mets.

Alonso’s two-run drive off Davis Martin was his 30th homer, giving him 30 or more in five of his six major league seasons, all with the Mets. The four-time All-Star finished with 16 in 57 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

The 29-year-old Alonso is third on the Mets career list with 222 homers.

Winker had three hits for the second straight game and two RBIs. Alonso added a single and scored twice.

Andrew Benintendi had two hits for Chicago, and Gavin Sheets, Miguel Vargas and Corey Julks drove in runs.

Mets starter Jose Quintana (7-9) allowed two runs (one earned) and six hits through five innings to win for the first time since July 29. The left-hander labored at times, walking three and striking out six, before reaching 98 pitches and being relieved by Huascar Brazobán in the sixth.

Brobazán, Ryne Stanek, Phil Maton and José Buttó combined for four innings of one-run relief.

Buttó yielded a double by Vargas and singles by Jacob Amaya and Luis Robert Jr. while giving up a run in a shaky ninth. With two runners aboard, the right-hander retired Benintendi on a comebacker for his third save.

Martin (0-3) yielded four runs and five hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.

Alonso drove the first pitch he saw from Martin, a high slider, to the left-center bleachers for a quick 2-0 lead. Winker followed with his 13th homer, to right-center, as the Mets went back-to-back for the fifth time this season.

The White Sox cut it to 3-1 in the second on Vargas’ RBI groundout.

Winker singled home a run in the third to make it 4-1. Sheets' RBI single trimmed it to 4-2 in the bottom half.

Starling Marte singled in a run off Gus Varland in the New York sixth. Julks' groundout drove in a run in the ninth.

ADDITIONS

The Mets will add LHP Alex Young when MLB rosters expand to 28 players on Sunday. Manager Carlos Mendoza said an extra position player will be determined after Saturday’s game.

RHP Jairo Iriarte and OF Zach DeLoach joined the White Sox as taxi squad players Saturday, signaling they could be added to the roster Sunday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: RHP Paul Blackburn (right hand bruise) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Mets LHP Sean Manaea (10-5, 3.51 ERA) will seek his fourth straight win when he faces White Sox LHP Garrett Crochet (6-9, 3.64) on Sunday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Chicago White Sox shortstop Jacob Amaya watches his throw to first after forcing New York Mets' Francisco Lindor out at second and getting Brandon Nimmo at first to turn the double play during the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets fans occupy a large section of the right field bleachers at Guaranteed Rate Field during the fourth inning of a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Mets Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor looks back at his teammates after his lead-off single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Jesse Winker watches his RBI sacrifice fly during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Jesse Winker watches his RBI sacrifice fly during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets starting pitcher Jose Quintana delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Starling Marte celebrates towards a large group of the team's fans in right field after his RBI single off Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Gus Varland in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore blows a bubble as he walks through the dugout during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, that saw the team tie the franchise season record of 106 losses in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago White Sox's Corey Julks sits in the end of the bench after the team's 5-3 loss to the New York Mets Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, that saw the White Sox tie the franchise season record of 106 losses in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi looks out from the dugout during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, that saw the team tie the franchise season record of 106 losses in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso watches his two-run home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The New York Mets' Pete Alonso is greeted in the dugout after his two-run home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso singles off Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Gus Varland during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso watches his two-run home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The New York Mets from left, Luis Severino, Mark Vientos, and Pete Alonso, celebrate Alonso's two-run home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nation's powerful interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television program, Cabello showed images of rifles that he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan.

The arrest of the American citizens included a member of the Navy, who Cabello identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez. Cabello said that Gomez was a former navy seal who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. Spain's embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment on the arrests of its citizens.

The U.S. State Department late Saturday confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member and said it was aware of “unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela.”

“Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” the statement said.

The announcement of the arrests comes just two days after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro who were accused by the U.S. government of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election, and carrying out human rights abuses.

Earlier this week, Spain's parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain.

Tensions between Venezuela's government and the U.S. have increased as well following the election, whose result sparked protests within Venezuela in which hundreds of opposition activists were arrested.

Venezuela's Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with the Maduro administration, said Maduro won the election with 52% of the vote, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.

Opposition activists, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nation's voting machines. The tally sheets collected by the opposition were published online, and they indicate that Gonzalez won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Despite international condemnation over the election's lack of transparency, Venezuela's supreme court, which has long backed Maduro, confirmed his victory in August. Venezuela's attorney general then filed conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.

Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed the U.S. is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.

The Maduro administration has previously used Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to gain concessions from the U.S. government. In a deal conducted last year with the Biden administration, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the U.S. government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who was held in Florida on money laundering charges. According to U.S. prosecutors, Saab had also helped Maduro to avoid U.S. Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies.

FILE - Socialist Party President Diosdado Cabello gives his weekly press conference, in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, Venezuela, Aug. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace in support of his reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)