Mets slowly picking up steam ahead of opener vs. Red Sox

Over their last two games, the New York Mets have displayed the formula necessary to begin the long climb back to respectability.

The Boston Red Sox are two weeks into a similar climb.

The Mets and Red Sox each will aim to remain hot Friday night in the opener of a three-game interleague series in New York.

Nolan McLean (6-5, 3.73 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against fellow right-hander Sonny Gray (10-1, 2.61).

New York rode a five-run fifth inning to a 7-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday in the decisive contest of a three-game series.

The Red Sox, in turn, won their sixth straight game by edging the host Chicago White Sox, 2-1 on Thursday.

The fifth-inning outburst marked the second straight game in which the Mets collected five runs in a frame.

New York, which is in last place in the National League East and 12 games out of the last wild-card spot, has gone 4-1 in the last five games. The Mets were 2-12 in their previous 14 games.

"Sustaining and building off it is what you have to do," said Mets first baseman Jared Young, who doubled twice on his 31st birthday Thursday.

As was the case Wednesday, the Mets finally paired their prolific offense with some reliable starting pitching Thursday. Sean Manaea gave up all three runs over a season-high seven innings a day after Christian Scott tossed five scoreless innings in a 6-2 win.

"We need that -- we're desperate for that," said interim manager Andy Green, who replaced Carlos Mendoza on June 26 with the Mets in the midst of a six-game losing streak.

"Outings like that set you up to win tomorrow's baseball game, and that's what we've been missing to some degree is having multiple of those outings in a week."

Such outings have been plentiful lately for the Red Sox, who have a much clearer path back to the playoff race in the muddied American League.

Boston leads the majors with a 11-2 record since June 25, a span which started one day after matching its season low by falling 14 games under .500. The Red Sox have swept three of their last four opponents.

Since giving up a total of 18 runs over consecutive losses to the Washington Nationals from June 30 to July 1, Red Sox pitchers have posted a 1.67 ERA in six wins over the Los Angeles Angels and White Sox.

That mark includes a 2.19 ERA by starters following left-hander Patrick Sandoval's solid outing (one run allowed in 4 1/3 innings) in his first start of the season Thursday.

The surge has lifted the Red Sox out of last place in the AL East and pulled them within 2 1/2 games of the Seattle Mariners in the race for the final wild-card spot.

"We're just playing winning baseball," said Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin, whose two-run homer provided Boston's offense Thursday. "I think we've been close for a while but were just on the wrong side of it. Now we're on the right side of it and you could feel the momentum around the clubhouse."

McLean earned the win in his most recent start on Sunday, when he gave up three runs (two earned) over six innings in the Mets' 10-9 road victory over the Atlanta Braves. The rookie, in his second season, has yet to face Boston in his career.

Gray recorded the victory last Saturday after allowing one run over six innings as the Red Sox posted an 8-1 victory over the host Angels. He is 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA in six starts against the Mets.

--Field Level Media