The Boston Red Sox routed the Athletics 13-1 on Friday night at Fenway Park for their ninth consecutive victory. Payton Tolle delivered a career-high 14 strikeouts over six innings. The offense produced double-digit runs for the second straight game.
Boston improved to 64-51, winners of 32 of their last 37 games. The streak has been fueled by contributions from every corner of the roster.
Duran Makes a Statement
Jarren Duran crushed a two-run homer over the Green Monster in the second inning to open the scoring Friday night. It was his third long ball in five games and the first time he had taken one over the wall in left since the summer of 2024.
The swing was significant for a player whose season has been defined far more by what has gone wrong than what has gone right.
“I’d like to say that the game is that easy, where I can guide the ball that way,” Duran said. “These guys are throwing too hard and too many good pitches to be able to force it that way. But when I’m in a good spot and the balls are out there, the ball goes that way.”
He finished the night 2 for 4, adding a single later in the game. It was a quiet, productive evening from a player who needed exactly that.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 07: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox hits a two-run home run against the Athletics during the second inning at Fenway Park on August 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
How Far He Has Come
Duran’s 2026 season has been one of the most difficult stretches of his career. His average sank to .195 earlier this summer, one of the worst marks among everyday hitters in the majors. He told Tracy directly that the team should not be running him out there. He admitted after the deadline passed that he had expected to be let go.
Tracy never flinched. He continued starting Duran every night and pointed to everything the outfielder provides beyond what the stat line shows. Defense, baserunning, bunting, situational hitting. Tracy’s belief never changed, even when the results gave him every reason to reconsider.
The frustration in Sacramento. The raw self-criticism. The relief when the deadline came and went without his name being moved. All of it created a backdrop that made the last week feel like the first real exhale Duran has had in months.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 07: Jarren Duran #16 high-fives Andruw Monasterio #32 of the Boston Red Sox after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the second inning at Fenway Park on August 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
What the Recent Numbers Show the Red Sox
Duran has gone deep three times across his last five games. His average has crept back to .200 after spending most of the summer well below that mark. Friday’s two-hit performance continued a stretch where the at-bats have looked visibly different.
The swing looks more relaxed. The results are following. He is not pressing the way he was earlier, when every plate appearance carried the weight of a season slipping away.
Nobody in the Red Sox clubhouse is ready to call the slump over. Duran has teased progress before this year only to slide back. But the recent stretch feels different because the approach feels different. He is letting the game come to him instead of trying to force it.
Final Word for the Red Sox
Three homers in five games. A two-hit night in a blowout. A Green Monster shot that had not happened in over two years.
Tracy bet on Duran when not many others would have. The return on that bet is starting to show.
Jarren Duran Sends Strong Message Amid Red Sox Winning Streak