RED SOX 9

METS 4

BOSTON – Overall, it wasn’t the Mets’ poorest game this year.

But their fourth and fifth innings last night might have been their two worst frames.

Over those two innings in last night’s 9-4 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, the Mets were outscored by four crucial runs – but it could have been the other way around.

Instead, their starting pitcher gave up two homers to the bottom of the Boston lineup, their left fielder lost a fourth-inning fly ball to hand the Sox a two-run double and their offense failed terribly to capitalize on threats, sending 13 men to the plate in the two frames and getting only one run.

The Mets’ biggest reason to leave the yard feeling good was that Jose Reyes did not suffer a major injury when he crashed into Sox catcher Jason Varitek at home. The shortstop ended up staying in the game.

The Red Sox, though, ended up winning the game, and they’ve now won 10 in a row.

Their ex-teammate, Pedro Martinez, will have a shot at ending the streak tonight against Josh Beckett.

The Mets, meanwhile, could have ended it last night – if they had performed better in the middle frames.

In the top of the fourth, trailing 3-1, the Mets loaded the bases with one out against rookie lefty Jon Lester (five innings, two runs but four hits and five walks) on a single and two walks. Julio Franco then walked to bring a run in and make it 3-2.

But with the bases still loaded, Xavier Nady grounded to first, and the throw went home to get the force. Then Chris Woodward struck out to strand three.

Then in the bottom of the inning, Lastings Milledge contributed to the Sox’ getting two runs.

Boston had runners on first and second with two outs when Manny Ramirez hit a fly ball to left.

Before the game, Met manager Willie Randolph said he wasn’t fearing Milledge in front of the Green Monster, saying, “No, it takes years to master that wall out there, so you’re just going to take some ground balls and take some fly balls off of it.” This ball didn’t even hit the Monster, but Milledge misjudged it, tried to dive for it and had the ball fall in on the warning track for a two-run double and a 5-2 Sox lead.

Then in the top of the fifth, Milledge got hit by a pitch to lead off, and after Reyes (0-5, end of 13-game hit streak) hit into a force play, Paul Lo Duca and Carlos Beltran (three hits, homer) singled to left.

Reyes tried to score – third base coach Manny Acta probably should not have sent him – and Ramirez threw home and Reyes crashed into Varitek’s left knee. Reyes was not only out but in pain, lying in the dirt near home. But eventually, Reyes walked off.

The Mets then loaded the bases again on another walk, but David Wright, on a 3-2 pitch, struck out swinging, firing his helmet to the ground afterwards.

In the bottom of the fifth then, Boston scored three more runs off Alay Soler (4.1 IP, 8 ER) on Mike Lowell’s solo homer and Alex Gonzalez’s two-run shot.

Unlike Martinez last night, Soler’s reception at Fenway wasn’t good. In his 42-pitch first inning, he loaded the bases and gave up Varitek’s two-run single.

After Delgado’s solo homer to right in the second made it 2-1, Soler threw 20 more pitches in the bottom of the frame and gave up another run, on Mark Loretta’s RBI single.