BOSTON RED SOX (58-69) at NEW YORK METS (71-56) Friday, August 28, 2015 • 7:10 p.m. ET • Citi Field, Flushing, NY LHP Henry Owens (2-1, 4.50) vs. RHP Matt Harvey (11-7, 2.57) Game #128 • Road Game #63 • TV: NESN • Radio: WEEI 93.7 FM, WCEC 1490 AM (Spanish) STATE OF THE SOX: The Red Sox were off yesterday after MEET THE METS: The Red Sox are facing the Mets for the taking 2 of 3 from the White Sox to begin a 7-day, 6-game 1st time since 5/24/09 at Fenway Park, a 12-5 win...Since REGULAR SEASON BREAKDOWN road trip...The Sox have won 6 of their last 9 contests begin- they last met, the Sox have faced every other MLB team. Overall ..............................................58-69 AL East Standing ....................5th, 13.0 GB ning with a season-high-tying 4-game win streak, 8/18-21. Boston holds an 11-10 edge in these club’s all- At Home ............................................33-32 The Red Sox have gone 8-5 with 94 runs scored on time Interleague series beginning in 1997...The Sox On Road ............................................25-37 159 hits in their last 13 games (7.2 R/G, .331 AVG, also dropped a 7-game World Series in their only In day games .....................................18-22 .381 OBP, .548 SLG). postseason meeting in 1986. In night games ..................................40-47 April ..................................................12-10 They rank 4th in the AL with a 14-11 (.560) record May .................................................. 10-19 dating back to 7/30...The Sox are 31-31 since 6/16 WE’LL NEED DIRECTIONS: This will be the Sox’ 1st ever June ..................................................14-14 following a 27-38 start to the year. series at Citi Field, which opened in 2009...With these clubs’ July ....................................................10-15 last 2 sets taking place in Boston (2006 & 2009), the Red August ..............................................12-11 The Sox are undefeated in their last 4 series, going Sox have not faced the Mets in New York in over 14 years... vs. AL East .........................................20-30 3-0-1 in series play...They last went 5 series without a The Sox went 6-7 all-time at Shea Stadium, including 2-2 in vs. AL Central ....................................15-15 defeat from 8/19-9/15/13 (8 series). the postseason and 4-5 in Interleague play. vs. AL West ........................................15-18 vs. National League...............................8-6 The Sox are 13.0 GB in the division and 7.5 GB for the The last Red Sox/Mets matchup in Flushing came vs. RH starter .....................................43-48 2nd Wild Card. over 14 years ago on 7/14/01, a 2-0 loss in which vs. LH starter .....................................15-21 the Red Sox were held to 1 hit, a bunt single by Trot Leading after 6 innings .......................47-8 WEDNESDAY’S WIN: The Red Sox defeated the White Nixon in the 1st inning...Glendon Rusch (W, 8.0 IP) Tied after 6 innings .............................7-12 Sox in Chicago on Wednesday night, 3-0, to take the series, and Armando Benitez (SV, 1.0 IP) combined to defeat Trailing after 6 innings ........................4-49 2-games-to-1...It was Boston’s 6th shutout win of the sea- Leading after 7 innings .......................49-4 Rolando Arrojo, Hipolito Pichardo, Sun-Woo Kim, and Tied after 7 innings ...............................7-9 son, the club’s 1st since a 1-0 win on 6/2 vs. MIN, and 1st Bill Pulsiphur...The last Red Sox pitcher to win a road Trailing after 7 innings ........................2-58 on the road since a 2-0 win on 5/3 at OAK. game against the Mets was David Cone on 7/13/01. Leading after 8 innings .......................51-3 Rick Porcello returned from the DL to match Chris Sale Tied after 8 innings ...............................6-7 with 7.0 scoreless innings each...Robbie Ross Jr. and NATIONAL AFFAIRS: The Sox are 8-6 (.571) against NL Trailing after 8 innings ........................0-59 Junichi Tazawa (save) each tossed a scoreless inning. opponents this season...Against AL foes, the Sox have gone Red Sox score fi rst .............................42-17 50-63 (.442)...The Sox are averaging 5.4 runs scored per Opponents score fi rst ........................16-52 Travis Shaw plated the game’s fi rst runs with a 2-run Shutouts ................................................6-7 shot in the 8th inning, his 7th HR in 30 career games game against the NL in 2015, 3rd highest among all teams Scoring less than 3 runs ......................7-32 and his 1st long ball away from Fenway Park...Boston in Interleague action behind HOU and TOR (both 5.5). Scoring 3 or 4 runs ............................12-20 added a run on Josh Rutledge’s sac fl y in the 9th. Scoring 5 or more runs ......................39-17 INTERLEAGUE INTRIGUE: With wins in at least 2 of their Red Sox hit HR ..................................43-38 Red Sox hit 0 HR ...............................15-31 SHAW’S FIRST 30: Shaw’s homer was his 7th in 30 career remaining 6 Interleague games, the Sox will have at least a .500 record in Interleague play for the 12th time in 13 years 1-run games ......................................16-17 major league games...In the last 100 years, the only other 2-run games ......................................11-15 Red Sox with as many as 7 HR in their first 30 career games from 2003-15...The only exception was last season (9-11). Walk-offs ...............................................3-7 are George Scott (11 in 1966), Bob Tillman (9 in 1962), Boston owns MLB’s best Interleague record since Extra innings (home) .............................1-2 Sam Horn (9 in 1987), and Walt Dropo (8 in 1950)...Of that 2003 (.628, 147-87)...The Sox are 192-145 (.570) all- Extra innings (road)...............................3-2 group, Horn was the only other left-handed hitter to do it. time in Interleague action, 2nd among all teams to Extra innings (total) ..............................4-4 the Yankees (.589, 198-138). Series openers ...................................23-18 All 7 of his homers have come in August, the most for Series fi nales .....................................19-22 a Red Sox rookie in one month since Brian Daubach Series W-L-T (home) ........................ 10-7-4 slammed 7 homers in August 1999 (Source: Elias)...In BEATING THE BEST: The Mets’ fi rst 2 starters in the cur- Series W-L-T (road) ..........................8-10-2 the last 44 years beginning in 1973, the only Red Sox rent series, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom rank 7th and Series W-L-T (total) ........................18-17-6 4th in the NL in ERA this season. Series sweeps (home) ...........................2-1 rookie with more than 7 homers in any month was Series sweeps (road) .............................0-5 Nomar Garciaparra, who hit 8 HR in August 1997. This year, Boston has handed losses to Sonny Gray (1st Series sweeps (total) .............................2-6 in AL in ERA entering today), Scott Kazmir (3rd), Chris Come-from-behind wins ........18, last 8/24 SCORING STORY: Despite being held to 12 total runs in Archer twice (5th), Hector Santiago (7th), Yovanni Innings batting around...18, last 8/15 (6th) their last 3 games, Boston has scored at least 6 runs in 16 of Gallardo (8th), Wei-Yin Chen (9th), Marco Estrada Games decided in last AB....................7-12 29 contests dating back to 7/26...It matches the club’s total (10th), Chris Sale (11th), and Corey Kluber (14th)... of 6+ run games in its previous 78 contests (4/28-7/25)... Boston also defeated ATL’s Shelby Miller (8th in NL), VS. THE METS Since 7/26, the Sox lead all ML teams with 184 runs scored. and Johnny Cueto (17th in MLB between KC and CIN). All-Time vs. Mets ...................... 11-10 In Boston ............................................7-5 With a major league-leading 94 runs scored in their ROOKIES IN ROTATION: Tonight marks the 33rd of Bos- In New York ........................................4-5 last 13 games, Boston has moved up from 9th in the At Citi Field......................................0-0 AL (12th in MLB) in runs (482 entering 8/14) to 3rd in ton’s 128 games this season stared by a rookie (26%)...It is the AL (3rd in MLB) entering today (576). just the 2nd time since 1994 that the Red Sox have reached 2009 vs. Mets ................................. 1-2 that total (43 rookie starts in 2007, including 32 by Daisuke In Boston ............................................1-2 Boston’s 144 runs this August lead the AL, 2nd in MLB Matsuzaka)...In the majors this year, only the Reds have In New York ........................................0-0 to the Mets’ 155...It marks the Sox’ most runs in any had more rookie pitchers make a start (8) than Boston’s 5. month since September 2013 (162 R in 25 G). The Sox have seen rookie pitchers start an AL-high 20 UPCOMING MILESTONES of their last 36 contests (7/20-tonight): Rodriguez (7), Milestone Player (current) BATS FLIPS: The Red Sox lead all ML teams with a .280 500 HR ......................................Ortiz (492) AVG in their last 89 games dating back to 5/19...Prior to Owens (5), Wright (5), Barnes (2), Johnson (1). that date, they had the 3rd-worst AVG in the AL at .230. ON THE ROAD: Boston has won 5 of its last 10 road MLB ALL-TIME HOME RUN LIST The club is batting an ML-best .301 against left- games but has dropped 13 of its last 18 contests away from Rk Player HR handed pitching since 5/23...Prior to that date, Boston Fenway Park since beginning its post-All-Star break slate 27.