Martinez homers and Megill is effective in his return from the minors as Mets top White Sox 5-1

CHICAGO (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer, Tylor Megill pitched effectively into the sixth inning in his return from the minors and the New York Mets topped the skidding Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Friday night.

Jesse Winker had an RBI double among his three hits as the Mets remained three games behind Atlanta for the final NL wild-card spot with their second straight win and seventh in 11. At 71-64, New York matched its season high at seven games above .500.

Martinez is 8 for his last 20, but stopped short of saying he has gotten hot at the plate. And the 14-year veteran isn’t worried even less about about the standings.

“For me, it’s just going out there and telling these guys over and over, we’re not supposed to be here,” Martinez said. “At the beginning of the year when I got here, no one was expecting us to be anywhere near the playoffs, and here we are in the thick of it.”

Megill (3-5) allowed a run and five hits and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse for his fourth stint with New York this season. The 6-foot-7 right-hander finished strong, retiring 10 in a row before Gavin Sheets singled with one out in the sixth.

“The first couple of innings were a little bit of hard work, getting behind early,” Megill said. “But then after that, locked it in and just seemed like I was cruising a little bit easier.”

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had the same assessment.

“I thought after the first couple of innings, he settled down, made pitches and gave us a good outing,” Mendoza said.

Andrew Benintendi had an RBI double and two hits for the White Sox (31-105), who dropped their eighth consecutive game. They are 4-34 since the All-Star break and are just one loss from the franchise record of 106 in 1970. Chicago also is on track to break the majors’ modern record for most losses — 120 by the 1962 Mets.

Adam Ottavino, Reed Garrett, Phil Maton and Edwin Diaz combined for 4 2/3 innings of perfect relief in place of Megill, striking out six.

“It was a tough day offensively.” White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “The back end of their bullpen did really well. I saw five hits go right at guys. It’s just the way the ball is going for us. We are hitting it right at them when we do have a good at-bat.”

Megill is filling the rotation spot of Paul Blackburn, who went on the injured list with a bruised right hand after being hit by David Peralta’s liner in San Diego. Friday’s game was Megill’s first with the Mets since July 31, when he tossed two relief innings against Minnesota.

White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon (2-9) allowed four runs and five hits with four walks over five innings in a fourth straight loss.

Benintendi’s double to the right-center wall drove in Nicky Lopez to put Chicago ahead 1-0 in the first.

The Mets loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but managed only to tie it on Harrison Bader’s RBI groundout after a video review overturned a double play.

With one out, Bader hit a chopper to third baseman Miguel Vargas, whose throw to second forced Jeff McNeil. Bader was called out at first on second baseman Lopez’s throw, but the review reversed the call and allowed Winker to score from third.

The Mets scored three runs after two outs in the third to take 4-1 lead. Winker’s RBI double to the wall put New York ahead and Martinez followed with his 16th homer to left.

Mark Vientos’ sacrifice fly in the ninth completed the scoring.

NET RESULT

Tyrone Taylor, who replaced Winker as a pinch runner and then in right field, jumped high into the netting down the line in the bottom of the eighth to catch Luis Robert Jr.'s foul fly. After landing in the mesh, Taylor trampolined back on the warning track in one motion.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rookie RHP Dedniel Núñez (right forearm tightness) is still being evaluated and there’s no timeline for his return. Nuñez went back on the 15-day IL Thursday after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday in San Diego, then reporting discomfort. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Nuñez would continue to undergo treatment from the medical staff and he hoped the right-hander would pitch again this season.

Mets LHP Jose Quintana (6-9, 4.36) faces the White Sox, his first major league team, on Saturday with RHP Davis Martin (0-2, 2.96) opposing him.

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