TAMPA — Jarren Duran led all Red Sox hitters last year with 83 extra-base hits (21 homers, 48 doubles, 14 triples).
But the 28-year-old leadoff went homerless in his first 82 plate appearances this season.
That changed in his second at-bat Tuesday when he connected on a 96.6 mph four-seam fastball from Rays right-handed starter Ryan Pepiot and sent it 388 feet.
Duran went 1-for-3 with a homer, two walks, two RBIs, two runs and his sixth stolen base. He helped the Red Sox to a 7-4 victory over the Rays here at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
“He’s a great player. He sets the tone for us,” said Alex Bregman who went 5-for-5. “He plays so hard.”
Manager Alex Cora said before Monday’s game that he wanted to see Duran start to hit the ball the opposite way to left-center field again. Duran did just that with his 388-foot, 101.8-mph two-run blast in the second inning that cleared the left-center field wall.
“ It started yesterday,” Cora said. “He got that ground ball (single) up the middle.”
Cora also pointed out how Duran drove a changeup to left field for a 337-foot fly-out in his final at-bat during Monday’s loss.
“So he’s getting close,” Cora said. “And as you know, he’s very important to our lineup. He’s the one that gets us going.”
Duran entered 17-for-74 (.230) with a .284 on-base percentage, .297 slugging percentage, .581 OPS and just four extra-base hits (three doubles, one triple) in 81 plate appearances. His 31.9% chase rate on pitches outside the zone entering Tuesday was up from 28.1% last year.
“Even the last at-bat he took (walk), that’s just who he is — a tough at-bat,” Bregman said. “He can hit a base hit from line to line. Can hit the ball out of the ballpark and also can control the strike zone. When he’s on the base paths, good things are gonna happen and did a great job for us. And he’ll continue to do that for us all year. He’s a stud.”
