The 2026 season has been a real struggle for Boston Red Sox slugger Jarren Duran, with him having real trouble finding any consistency at the plate.
This year, Duran has hit .209 with 18 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases, while posting an OPS of .636. To Duran’s credit, he has hit .263 in August, showing some signs of life in his bat.
But when the Red Sox needed him the most on Tuesday, the former All-Star came up huge. Duran hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the 11th inning against the Miami Marlins to propel Boston to the win.
Prior to the grand slam, Duran had gone 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, so this came out of nowhere. But this has been the way that Boston has been all season, with guys stepping up at the right time.
With the win on Tuesday, Boston has now won the series with the Marlins, and they will have a chance to sweep on Wednesday. So, heading into the finale, the Red Sox are looking to take care of business.
Jarren Duran News Announced vs Marlins
But before the game, Boston has now released the lineup for the contest. Within it, Duran will be hitting in the seventh spot once again.
Here is how the lineup looks for the Red Sox heading into the finale:
Red Sox 8/26
N. Sogard 1B
C. Rafaela CF
W. Abreu RF
C. Durbin 3B
M. Gasper DH
A. Monasterio SS
J. Duran LF
A. Seigler 2B
C. Wong CS. Gray SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 26, 2026
Duran has been working very hard to get his swing going at the plate, but to this point, nothing has been able to stick. But the confidence from hitting a clutch home run like this could help him navigate the final stretch of the regular season.
“I feel like we’ve been in these situations so many times throughout our career,” Duran said. “It just kind of becomes normal to come up in a situation like that. So just kind of try and keep yourself calm and act like you’ve done that before, and just stay confident.”
Has Jarren Duran Turned a Corner?
Weirdly, even amid his long slump, Duran has been one of the more clutch players in baseball this year. The veteran has 17 RBIs in the ninth inning or later this year, leading the big leagues.
This is where Duran shines for the Red Sox, even if the rest of the time, he’s been a problem.
“I just gotta do something for the team, which makes it so much easier for me,” Duran said. “It’s like, ‘All right, I just have to do the job.’ Whereas like earlier in the game, I’m like, ‘I have to get a hit here, like, I have to get on base.’”
If Duran can start getting hot, the Red Sox would be a true threat in the American League the rest of the way. Boston has the pieces to make a deep run this season, but they will need the former All-Star to play a big part.
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