Red Sox 3 - 1 Mets
Final
  for this game

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Aug 29, 2015 - 5:58 AM Coming off the worst performance of his career, Jacob deGrom should be thrilled to be back home.

DeGrom looks to continue his dominance at Citi Field as the NL East-leading New York Mets try to end their longest home losing streak of the season Saturday against the Boston Red Sox.

DeGrom (12-6, 2.29) had gone 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his previous seven starts, but the right-hander was hammered for a career-high seven runs and three homers in 2 2-3 innings of Monday's 16-7 win at Philadelphia. He didn't get the decision.

"I don't think I located one pitch," deGrom told MLB's official website. "Everything was down the middle and they were hitting it hard."

That hasn't been the case for deGrom at home, where he's 6-2 with a 1.46 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 80 innings in 12 starts this season. He's gone 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 20 2-3 innings in his last three outings at Citi Field.

The Mets (71-57), though, are on the brink of their first five-game slide in Queens since Aug. 3-14, 2014. They failed to win their eighth straight overall Friday, with Yoenis Cespedes flying out to center with the bases loaded in the 10th inning of a 6-4 loss to Boston (59-69).

New York is expected to have Daniel Murphy back in the lineup after he lined out to second as a pinch-hitter Friday. He's batting .352 with 20 RBIs over the last 21 games.

Manager Terry Collins said there was a "good shot" that David Wright will be the next to get a day off Saturday. The Mets captain had two hits Friday after being greeted with a standing ovation in his first home game since April 14.

Joe Kelly (7-6, 5.18) looks to become the first Red Sox pitcher to go 6-0 in August since Roger Clemens in 1990. The last Boston hurler to do it in any month was Pedro Martinez in May 1999.

The right-hander has posted a 3.03 ERA in his last five starts and a 1.40 mark in the past three.

Kelly's turnaround has been a major surprise after he was demoted to Triple-A Pawtucket in June. He credits the improvement to catcher Ryan Hanigan, who has started every game of Kelly's winning streak.

"Just the comfort level," Kelly said. "I typically can throw (the secondary stuff) for strikes. Getting on the same page as Hanigan, him making me throw those offspeed pitches ... It's a good mix.

"We have a good thing going right now. We're on the same page. It's fun to see him think back there. I'm throwing whatever he calls."

Kelly is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in three games - one start - against the Mets.

With Hanigan expected to be behind the plate, rookie Blake Swihart would head to the bench after hitting a solo inside-the-park homer in the 10th on Friday. He's batted .500 with eight RBIs in his last seven games.

Jackie Bradley Jr. had a two-run shot among his two hits, giving him six hits in 14 at-bats in the past five games.






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