Even though the Boston Red Sox were eliminated from playoff contention Wednesday night, one of their breakout stars still managed to make history.
Outfielder Jarren Duran failed to reach base safely in either of his first two at-bats, so the Red Sox already trailed the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 when he got his third at-bat in the top of the sixth. That time, Duran doubled to left and came around to score on a single from Triston Casas.
Duran singled in the seventh, but that was his final plate appearance of the night and Boston went on to lose 6-1. The loss knocked the Red Sox 3.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot with three games remaining, erasing their chances of sneaking into the postseason.
Still, Duran improved his batting average to .286, his OPS to .840 and his WAR to 8.8. He has now racked up 21 home runs, 34 stolen bases, 75 RBI and 109 runs on the season, all while leading MLB with 48 doubles and 14 triples.
According to Red Sox director of media relations J.P. Long, the 80 extra-base hits Duran has recorded as a leadoff hitter this season are the third-most in franchise history. He entered Wednesday tied with Jacoby Ellsbury, who had 79 in 2011.
Nomar Garciaparra set the record with 85 extra-base hits in 1997, while Mookie Betts ranks second with the 84 he posted in 2018.
Duran has hit out of the leadoff spot 150 times this season, batting second six times and eighth just once. The only two games Duran has missed in 2024 were a result of a suspension he received for directing a homophobic slur at a fan.
The 2024 All-Star Game MVP, who boasts the fourth-highest WAR in MLB, will be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter. With Boston no longer a playoff contender and just three games left on the regular season schedule, it remains to be seen how heavily Duran gets utilized in the final series of the year.
