Whatever the Boston Red Sox saw in Jarren Duran in his first two Major League Baseball games, it earned him a jump up in the batting order.
The Red Sox outfielder, who was called up before a series with the New York Yankees, hit a two-run home run that put Boston on the board in the first inning. It was his first at bat after being promoted to the second spot in the lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays.
And that was all just a few days after getting his first big league hit off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
“That’s a working count in my favor — I was hoping for a fastball and I got a fastball — and it was a good pitch too, it was up and away,” Duran said after the game, breaking down his first career homer. “I’m just glad I stayed with it and went the other way with it and didn’t try and do too much.”
Duran wasn’t swinging for the fences, getting the hit before Boston really opened things up. In fact, he didn’t even think the ball, which ended up going 357 feet to left field, would clear the fence.
“I didn’t think I got it, I thought maybe over his head for a double or something,” Duran admitted. “But it all felt good trotting the bases, feeling like I did something to help the team get two runs on the board early.”
In three games thus far, Duran is 2-for-12 with two runs, two RBIs, a walk and a homer.
