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Jul 22, 2015 - 4:55 AM A rare rainout in Anaheim scrambled the rotation of the stumbling Boston Red Sox.

Now it's possible that city will haunt them again since they have been forced to call up a struggling Anaheim native to face the team with baseball's most homers.

Joe Kelly makes his first big-league start in nearly a month as the visiting Red Sox look to end a six-game slide and even this three-game set against the power-hitting Houston Astros.

Boston (42-52) had its game Sunday in Anaheim rained out, forcing a doubleheader Monday in which it was swept by the Los Angeles Angels. With the rotation in flux as a result, the club will recall Kelly (2-5, 5.67 ERA) - coincidentally born in Anaheim - from Triple-A Pawtucket for his first start since June 23.

The right-hander went 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA in his last six road starts for Boston. He was 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in four outings in his stint with Pawtucket, and manager John Farrell hopes that Kelly has fixed his woes.

"There has been, last time out, almost the tale of two performances inside of one game where he was dominant the first couple of innings and then some foul balls, high pitch counts after that," Farrell said. "There's been more of an effort and emphasis on throwing the ball in to right-handers and using both sides of the plate."

Kelly's task isn't easy since Houston (52-43) has drilled 129 homers. He was ripped for seven runs and two homers over four innings in his lone career start against the Astros, an 8-1 loss Aug. 17.

He was opposed that day by Collin McHugh (10-5, 4.35), who yielded one run over six innings to earn the victory in his first career start against the Red Sox. McHugh then gave up four runs in 5 1-3 innings in a 6-1 defeat at Boston on July 4.

His line was not impressive Friday but good enough for a 3-2 victory over Texas in which the right-hander allowed one run and matched a career high with 11 hits - all singles.

Chris Carter hit a two-run homer in Tuesday's 8-3 victory in his return to the lineup after missing two games with a sprained right ankle. The slugger was in an 0-for-20 slump before a single in the fifth inning that was his first hit since July 3.

"The whole time I was just thinking about my at-bats and hitting and everything and wanting to be out there and just try to get everything right," he said. "So when I got back out there I could help the team."

Rookie Carlos Correa doubled and drove in two runs. He is 8 for 20 in a six-game hitting streak.

Second baseman Jose Altuve went 2 for 3 to improve to 20 for 51 (.392) with 14 runs scored during a 14-game hitting streak at home.

Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia is 0 for 18 in five games after missing 16 due to a right hamstring strain.

The Red Sox seek to avoid matching their season-high, seven-game slide from June 9-15.

Boston, Cleveland and Tampa Bay are the only AL teams the Astros have yet to capture a series against since joining the league in 2013.






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