Boston @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 16, 2015 ) NY Mets 3, Boston 4

The New York Mets will look to extend the longest active winning streak in the major leagues when they begin a three-game series against visiting Boston on Friday. A two-run double by Daniel Murphy in the top of the 13th inning helped lift the Mets past Philadelphia on Thursday and gave the first-place club its seventh straight win - all on the road.

That leaves New York - which maintained a 6 1/2-game lead over Washington in the National League East - four victories shy of the team's season-high 11-game win streak. The Red Sox are 3-0-1 in their last four series, averaging 7.2 runs during the slight surge. They give the ball to promising rookie Henry Owens, who dominated Kansas City his last time out, opposite Matt Harvey in an intriguing matchup of former first-round selections. The teams have not met since 2009 and have not played in New York since Boston visited Shea Stadium for three games in 2001.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Henry Owens (2-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. Mets RH Matt Harvey (11-7, 2.57)

Owens held the Royals to two runs (one earned) and four hits in eight innings of a 7-2 victory Friday at home. He opened his major-league career earlier this month with back-to-back road starts, allowing four runs in 10 innings. The 23-year-old has held opponents to a .239 average but 10 of their 22 hits have been for extra bases (four home runs, six doubles).

Harvey has won three straight decisions and is 2-0 with a sparkling 0.63 ERA over his last four starts while recording 25 strikeouts against one walk. He has allowed two or fewer runs in seven consecutive home outings with an ERA of 1.11 in that stretch. Only two Red Sox hitters - Pablo Sandoval and Alejandro De Aza - have faced Harvey in the past, combining to go 0-for-7 with four strikeouts.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Mets homered three times Thursday to establish a new franchise record for home runs in a month (43).

2. Murphy was 3-for-6 on Thursday and is batting .340 with 20 RBIs in 21 games this month.

3. Red Sox DH David Ortiz, who is expected to start at first base at least twice in the series, remains one home run shy of matching Lou Gehrig (493) and Fred McGriff for 27th on the all-time list.

PREDICTION: Mets 5, Red Sox 2