With a downpour descending upon Fenway Park and lightning illuminating the night sky, the game between the Red Sox and Mets was delayed in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Mets leading, 4-3. Umpire crew chief Alfonso Marquez summoned the tarp mid-at-bat, with Kodai Senga ahead in the count, 1-2, against Alex Verdugo with one out. The delay began about 8:20 p.m.
The Sox had taken an early 3-0 lead on a Justin Turner RBI groundout in the first and a Yu Chang two-run double off the Wall in the second against Senga. But the Mets stormed back with two-run homers in each of the next two innings off Sox starter Kutter Crawford, with Brandon Nimmo hitting one into the right-field grandstand in the third inning and Dan Vogelbach launching a ball over the visitor’s bullpen in the fourth.
In the last three games, Red Sox starters Crawford, Brayan Bello (3), and Joe Jacques (2) have allowed a combined seven homers in 9⅓ innings. Six of them have been of the two-run variety. The three-game stretch marks the first time that Sox starters have allowed multiple homers in three straight games since the team’s rotation opened the season by allowing multiple homers in each of the first five games of the year.
When the delay began, Crawford had allowed four runs on four hits with two strikeouts in four innings. Senga had allowed three runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 3⅓ innings.
Lineups
METS (45-51): Nimmo CF, Lindor SS, McNeil RF, Alonso 1B, Vogelbach DH, Alvarez C, Baty 3B, Canha LF, Guillorme 2B.
Pitching: RHP Kodai Senga (7-5, 3.20 ERA)
RED SOX (51-46): Duran LF, Turner 2B, Yoshida DH, Devers 3B, Duvall CF, Verdugo LF, Casas 1B, Wong C, Chang SS.
Pitching: RHP Kutter Crawford (4-4, 3.74 ERA)
Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Mets vs. Crawford: Has not faced any Mets batters
Red Sox vs. Senga: Has not faced any Boston batters
Stat of the day: Alex Cora is one win shy of tying Jimy Williams for seventh-most in franchise history. The only person to manage as many Red Sox games as Cora (745) and post a better winning percentage than his .555 mark (413-331) is Terry Francona (.574).
Notes: The Red Sox are going for their fifth straight win at home. … Crawford pitched six scoreless innings in the 11-5 win over the Cubs on Sunday, allowing just one hit while striking out a career-high nine. … Senga held the Dodgers to one run on four hits in six innings on Saturday, striking out nine while walking just two. In his final start before the All-Star break, Senga struck out 12 in eight innings and allowed one run in a 2-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.