Red Sox Look to Extend Winning Streak Against Mets Before All-Star Break

The Boston Red Sox are riding high with a five-game winning streak, having claimed ten victories in their last twelve contests. Since the beginning of their series against the New York Yankees, the Sox have shifted their record to 33-31 under interim manager Chad Tracy, now sitting at 43-48 overall. With playoff aspirations still alive, they are just 2.5 games back in the Wild Card race and boast a 30.1% chance to secure a postseason berth according to FanGraphs, putting them ahead of both the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.

As the Red Sox prepare to face the Mets, all eyes will be on Sonny Gray, who is in contention for an All-Star spot following Ranger Suarez’s injury. Gray will take the mound Friday night in a game that will exclusively air on Apple TV, as NESN will not broadcast this matchup. Gray is coming off impressive performances, having pitched 6.0 innings against the Angels and 7.1 against the Yankees, allowing just one run across those outings. In contrast, his opponent, 24-year-old right-hander Nolan McLean, has struck out 28% of batters this season while maintaining a walk rate of just 8.8%. Despite his potential, McLean has struggled recently, giving up six runs to the Cubs and three (two earned) to the Braves in his last three starts, all of which lasted six innings.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup, the Red Sox have yet to announce a starter, as Ranger Suarez will miss the game due to injury. This uncertainty continues into Sunday as well, with Boston’s rotation in flux. Brayan Bello could be a candidate for one of these starts, potentially on Saturday, but the Red Sox may be cautious about bringing him up only to send him back down after addressing his first-inning struggles. Bello has posted a 4.34 ERA in 18.2 innings over four starts since his demotion, and with his last outing on July 1, he comes into this series well-rested. Payton Tolle, who pitched in Chicago, would have four days of rest if called upon, but the team would prefer not to rely on him in a close game.

On the Mets’ side, Freddy Peralta is having a challenging season after being traded from the Brewers, currently posting his highest ERA in a full season with diminishing strikeout numbers and an increase in hits allowed. The Mets are also facing a pitching dilemma for Sunday, suggesting the possibility of bullpen games for both teams. Meanwhile, Juan Soto is doing everything he can for the Mets, hitting 21 home runs this season. Bo Bichette, who started the season slowly, has improved but is still slashing just .258/.302/.380, not meeting expectations after signing a lucrative three-year deal. Francisco Lindor, meanwhile, is struggling with a .211/.296/.352 line, reflecting a downturn in his performance at age 32.

Here’s how the pitching matchups shape up:

• Friday, July 10: Sonny Gray (2.61 ERA / 3.61 FIP) vs. Nolan McLean (3.73 ERA / 2.96 FIP)
• Saturday, July 11: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Freddy Peralta (4.68 ERA / 4.30 FIP)
• Sunday, July 12: TBD (— ERA / 2.72 FIP) vs. TBD (— ERA / — FIP)

Fans can catch the action on Apple TV on Friday at 7:15 PM ET, followed by Saturday’s game at 4:10 PM ET on NESN and Sunday’s finale at 1:40 PM ET, also on NESN.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.