Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran came inches away from making a spectacular play in the top of the fourth inning Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners. Instead, Duran came up short on a diving grab with two outs and the misplay, which allowed two runs to score, changed the complexion of the game.
But it didn’t compound issues for the 26-year-old, who also struck out in each of his first two at-bats. Duran showed just how far he has come in the last year by putting it all behind him to have an impact on a 9-4 win at Fenway Park for the Red Sox, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
“Pick up my boys and just think about the guys,” Duran told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “It’s not all about me. When I missed that play, I was like alright, ‘Well Nicky (Pivetta) is going to punch (out) the next guy and we’re going to get out of this and we’re going to go score runs.’ Just think about my teammates and just trying to do the best I can do for them.”
Duran added: “It’s a whole different year. I don’t really want to think about the negatives from last year. I think just going off of this year, I’m in a positive mindset. I don’t really want to take a step back. I’m just going to keep moving forward, keep staying positive.”
One batter after Duran failed to come up with a highlight-reel grab, Boston’s once four-run lead was completely erased with Taylor Trammell hitting a two-run bomb. But Red Sox manager Alex Cora had no problems with Duran’s diving attempts. And he certainly didn’t have a problem with how Duran responded an inning later.
Determined to make up for the miscue, Duran belted a solo home run 417 feet to center field off Mariners starter Luis Castillo as a part of a three-run fifth. He padded Boston’s lead with an RBI single in the seventh and also stole his seventh base of the season in the frame.
“He’s trying to make a baseball play, right? Trying to get that ball. It is what it is,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “I’d rather have that than lack of effort. … He’s in a great place. He’s going to strike out, he’s going to make mistakes, but overall his game has been a plus everywhere — running the bases, hitting the baseball and playing good defense.”
Duran, who is now batting .351 on the season, said his teammates had his back following his fielding mishap. And they’ve also noticed the strides made to contribute on a regular basis.
“He’s a game-changer,” Justin Turner told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “He’s got power, he’s got speed. He uses the whole field and plays great defense in center. It’s good to see him having success, hitting the ball all over the place and running the bases like he is.”
