The journey from Chicago to Queens took the Red Sox nearly a day, primarily due to issues with their plane.
If necessary, Boston would have likely hitched a ride across the country just to secure a player from the Mets who might be stuck for a while.
Coming off their first series victory in almost a month, the Mets faced a team suffering from frequent travel delays and showcased that any luck could easily turn sour, ending the game 6-2.
As the game wound down, Citi Field had an atmosphere reminiscent of Fenway Park, especially when Wyyer Abreu delivered a decisive two-run hit in the ninth.
The Mets couldn’t capitalize on pitcher Nolan McLean’s solid performance; despite only giving up two runs in six innings, their offense, which had shown signs of life with four wins in five games, fell flat once again.
After conceding three runs in the eighth, AJ Ewing walked to start the first inning, and the Mets had runners on the corners with no outs. But Francisco Lindor, Carson Benge, and Jorge Polanco were unable to drive in any runs.
The Mets got off to a rough start, especially after the first pitch was delayed by 36 minutes due to the Red Sox’s travel mishaps.
Juan Soto mishandled a fly ball from Anthony Seigler, leading to a two-base error that put Boston ahead early.
Seigler advanced to third on a bunt by Sedan Rafaela, and after a walk to Abreu, McLean managed to strike out Romy Gonzalez. However, Masanao Yoshida soon doubled, scoring two runs and putting the Mets in a tough spot.
A misplay by Abreu allowed Jared Young to hit a double in the second inning, but Francisco Alvarez grounded out, ending the threat.
Soto managed to bring one run back in the third against Sonny Gray, who allowed just one run over six innings.
Brett Batty extended his hitting streak to ten games with a single, and Zach Short walked. Ewing forced a play at second, letting Batty reach third. Soto’s sacrifice fly narrowed the score to 2-1, but a throwing error from Jalen Duran allowed Ewing to get to third, only for Ewing to remain stranded when Lindor popped out.
McLean had previously been let down by Soto’s fielding but found some relief thanks to defense in the fourth. With Connor Wong on second and two outs, Tsung-chee Chen hit a single, but Benji made a crucial play that kept the game at 1-0 after a challenge reversed Wong’s advancement.
In the fifth, McLean regained the lead with a single from Seigler. After Rafaela grounded out, Abreu doubled, putting Boston in a promising position.
But things took a downturn for AJ Minter, who replaced McLean. He struggled in the seventh, giving up a bunt hit and then a two-run homer to Seigler, making it 4-1. Minter faced a tough outing, allowing four hits in a single inning, raising questions about his future as a trade candidate before the August 3 deadline.
In the innings leading up to that, he had only given up one run while stranding 11 runners. The Mets’ struggle continued as they went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, effectively eliminating any hope for a comeback in the eighth.
