The New York Mets suffered not one but two walk-off losses against the White Sox.

Both losses were nail-biters, while the Mets’ only win of the series featured a home run explosion. Still, it was a crushing way to lose a series.

Although there were plenty of positives to take from Chicago, the Mets are now 59-72 on the year.

On that note, let’s recap everything from the White Sox series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Bo Bichette by Berto Carlo

3 UP

BO TO THE FUTURE

It would be stunning if Bo Bichette doesn’t opt in next season. He’s owed $42 million, and he won’t get that on the open market. While that is a hefty price tag, Bichette opting in would be good news for the Mets. Yes, he got off to just an awful start in a Mets uniform, but he’s been red-hot in the second half of the season. The infielder is hitting .297/.340/.467 over his last 84 games. Furthermore, over his last 32 games, Bichette is slashing .310/.357/.473 with seven doubles, four homers, 16 runs scored, and 15 RBIs. We saw just how locked in Bichette is over the weekend. He hit homers in back-to-back games. More importantly, the veteran is looking more and more comfortable, and he’s clicking at the right time. That’s a very good sign for 2027.

TO THE MOON

Luis Robert Jr. clearly enjoyed his return to Rate Field over the weekend. The outfielder was booed upon his homecoming, but got the last laugh. Robert Jr. launched a couple of monster home runs, with both shots leaving the bat at 109 mph and traveling over 400 feet. It was the outfielder’s first multi-home run game for the Mets. Furthermore, Robert Jr.’s big night was a reminder of the talent he possesses. His power can take over games, as was the case on Saturday.

DOING HIS JOB

Nolan McLean certainly did all he could on Sunday. The righty was stellar in the series finale, tossing six scoreless innings. McLean walked four batters but struck out six, allowing just one hit. Consequently, he has now allowed one run or fewer over his last three starts. Furthermore, McLean owns a 1.97 ERA over his last 10 starts with 62 strikeouts over that span. In other words, McLean is trending in the right direction and is looking more and more like an ace.

John Jones-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

PITCHING MELTDOWNS

Both of the Mets’ losses were nail-biters, and pitching cost them on both occasions. In the opener on Friday, Sean Manaea cruised through five innings before giving up three consecutive home runs. Jefry Yan, who celebrated a strikeout prematurely before walking a batter, then gave up the walk-off two-run shot. Then, on Sunday, Kodai Sengawas asked to pitch on back-to-back days for the first time this season. However, the plan backfired with Senga allowing a walk-off homer to end the game. The Mets were walked off twice in this series, and bad pitching was at the heart of it.

ROOKIE SLUMP

A.J. Ewing has been a revelation ever since being called up earlier this year. However, he’s now mired in his first rookie slump. Ewing has clearly hit a wall, hitting just .130/.216/.152/.368 with 18 strikeouts, one extra-base hit, and no RBIs over his last 12 games. The struggles stretch back a little further too. Ewing looks lost at the plate, and he struck out with the bases loaded late in the finale. Slumps are normal for all rookies, but the Mets will be hoping Ewing can break out of his sooner rather than later.

DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY

It is time to be really concerned about Francisco Alvarez. The catcher is struggling at an alarming clip. He was a non-factor in Chicago outside of a walk and a hit in the middle game of the series. In total, Alvarez struck out seven times against the White Sox. As a result, he’s now struck out at least twice in 11 of the 17 games he’s played in August so far. That isn’t good. Alvarez clearly has power and talent, but he’s swinging at everything and has no plate discipline whatsoever. If he’s going to be a factor for this team going forward, Alvarez will need to make major changes during the offseason.