Jarren Duran built on his strong first half on Tuesday night, earning the Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP honours after going 1-for-2 with a go-ahead home run.
The Boston Red Sox outfielder stepped to the plate with the score even in the fifth inning and launched a 413-foot bomb into the bleachers off Cincinnati Reds righty Hunter Greene.
“Honestly, I can’t put it into words right now. I’m kinda overwhelmed with emotions,” Duran said in his post-game interview. “I’m just very thankful to be here, and to represent the Red Sox is a big honour.”
Duran’s homer would prove to make the difference in the game, as the American League bullpen locked down over the final four innings to lift the junior circuit to a 5-3 win.
“I know he throws really hard, so I was like, ‘alright, I hope he throws me a fastball first pitch so I can see how hard it is,'” Duran said of his eventual game-winning at-bat. “He just gave me a pitch to put a good swing on. That’s probably the first pitch I’ve ever pimped in my life, and I was just trying to soak it all in. It was a surreal moment.”
The 27-year-old Duran is having a career year for Boston, slashing .283/.342/.476 with 10 home runs, 27 doubles, 10 triples, 62 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.
Originally a seventh-round pick by Boston in 2018, Duran was making his All-Star debut Tuesday night in Texas. His emergence this season has played a big part in the Red Sox finding their way back into playoff contention.
The Red Sox sit at 53-42 at the break, holding down the third wild-card spot in the American League.
Duran becomes the fifth Red Sox to ever be named All-Star Game MVP, joining J.D. Drew (2008), Pedro Martinez (1999), Roger Clemens (1986) and Carl Yastrzemski (1970).
Asked what he’ll take away from the All-Star experience, Duran mentioned just getting to be around the best the game has to offer.
“Probably hanging out with those guys in the clubhouse. Man, there’s so many good guys in that clubhouse,” he said. “I mean, there’s guys that are supposed to be our rivals in our division, but they’re such awesome guys, it’s going to be hard playing against them coming up.”