Alex Cora had a feeling Jarren Duran was ready for a promotion in the Red Sox' lineup. He was right.
The rookie outfielder launched his first career homer in the first inning in Buffalo, taking Toronto starter Ross Stripling over the left field fence for a two-run shot.
The opposite field homer went 357 feet with an exit velocity of 99.5 mph.
The blast was one of three homers for the Red Sox, with Hunter Renfroe adding a grand slam and Kiké Hernandez going deep (434 feet) for his second hit of what would be an eight-run frame.
Duran was promoted to the No. 2 spot in the Red Sox' batting order, hitting behind Hernandez. Renfroe slid down to the seventh position, with Alex Verdugo slotted in at No. 6.
Cora explained the decision for his faith in Duran prior to the game, saying, "(Sunday), he saw a lot of pitches. It seems like he belongs. Yeah, he swung and missed, he struck out, but they were competitive at-bats. You can see the energy, you can see the confidence, and obviously you see the athlete. Even the feedback that I got from Boonie (Aaron Boone) and from Phil Nevin and Carlos Mendoza, their bench coach, he’s like, ‘This kid belongs.’ So, now we’ve just got to keep finding good matchups for him, keep gaining confidence, and he’s going to be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
All 3 home runs from the Red Sox this first inning from Jarren Duran, Hunter Renfroe, and Kike Hernandez. #DirtyWater pic.twitter.com/pStB9u9OzK
— Justin Groc (@jgroc) July 19, 2021
