Boston Red Sox at New York Mets

The Red Sox gave new meaning to the expression “show and go” on Friday. After capping a three-game sweep against the White Sox on Thursday afternoon, the surging Sox -- who had just won their sixth game in a row and 10th in the last 12 -- were looking forward to getting to their Manhattan hotel later in the evening. Instead, airplane issues forced them to check back into a Chicago hotel at about 2 a.m. Friday morning. And after the traveling party got some sleep and went back on the plane, there were different mechanical issues that led to several more delayed hours. Roughly four hours before the scheduled 7:15 p.m. ET game against the Mets, the Red Sox at last lifted off from Chicago’s Midway airport and landed at 4:40. The one thing they had going for them is that LaGuardia Airport is just a few miles from Citi Field. The Sox got to the ballpark at about 5 p.m., getting them in a rush to prepare. To accommodate Boston’s issues, the game was delayed to a start time of 7:50 p.m. It didn't slow them down, as Boston beat the Mets, 6-2, for its seventh straight win. “Obviously, a long day and a half, and they brought everything they had, which was great,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. As clubhouse attendants had to rush to get the visitor’s clubhouse set up, the Red Sox did their best to get their pregame preparations and meetings done as close to normal as possible. “We’re still waiting on some laundry,” Tracy said about an hour and 40 minutes prior to first pitch. “Guys are getting dressed, we’re gonna get some swings and get ourselves ready to go.” Sonny Gray, the 36-year-old veteran, was ready to go when the bell rang, firing six strong innings to improve to 11-1 and lower his ERA to 2.54. “I think for everybody, it was just using a little piece of everyone,” said Gray. “We were in it together. We were in that thing together from the time we left when game was over yesterday in Chicago until it all started today, we were all in it together. We were just in that game together.” Before getting to New York, the players tried to push away the frustration as best they could. “We tried to make light of the situation,” said Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle. “We tried to have fun with it. At one point, we just kind of looked at each other and started laughing because it was just ridiculous."