Red Sox’s Jarren Duran Felt ‘So Much Pressure’ In Homecoming

Jarren Duran was off to a strong start to the season before the start of the series against the Angels, but there were personal pressures for the Red Sox outfielder heading into Friday’s matchup.

Duran hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning to put Boston ahead of Los Angeles. Tyler O’Neill mashed his second dinger of the night to prevent a comeback and give the Red Sox the win.

Duran was 0-for-11 at Angel Stadium heading into Friday, but he continued his solid run as the leadoff man with a 2-for-5 and two-RBI performance. However, there were a lot more emotions for the 27-year-old California native.

“To be honest, I put so much pressure on myself because there’s been people who have never seen me get a hit in person,” Duran told reporters, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “Like my roommates had never seen me get a hit in person. So I’m glad I got at least one of those out of the way for them. That was pretty fun.”

Duran has been open about his mental health and was glad to have a weight off his shoulders after Friday’s performance. The outfielder attended Long Beach University, which isn’t too far from Angel Stadium. He admitted there were too many friends and family to count but was glad they got to see him play.

However, Friday night was headlined by Trevor Story’s injury, and it could be up to Duran to continue to step up if the Red Sox are without one of the team’s leaders in the lineup.