The Boston Red Sox cast aside the Jarren Duran slur and suspension spectacle with a 5–4 extra-inning walk off win over the Texas Rangers on Monday.
MLB and the Red Sox suspended Duran two games because of his LGBTQ-related cursing at a heckling fan during an at-bat against the Houston Astros on Sunday. Duran apologized in an official statement afterward.
Boston’s lineup didn’t use Duran’s absence as an excuse on Monday as five different players scored and drove in runs. That included Red Sox left fielder Rob Refsnyder coming up clutch with a walk-off RBI single on a deep shot to the center field wall in the 10th inning.
Refsnyder has been tough against left-handed pitchers of late, and he made Rangers left-hander Walter Pennington the latest victim. The 10th-year veteran from South Korea has a .316 batting average with six home runs and 17 RBIs against lefties this year.
“I don’t know, it’s like my job depends on it,” Refsnyder told ESPN regarding his success against lefties. “I have a great hitting department and great hitting staff. They put me in great positions to get some work in in-between starts and things like that. I was just lucky and fortunate they helped me right there.”
“I had a tough at-bat against Kirby (Yates). A really good split down in the zone. I was pretty disappointed. I didn’t come through there,” Refsnyder said. “Thankful I was given another opportunity.”
Refsnyder went 2–5 at the plate, which included that eighth-inning strikeout against Yates in a 3–3 game. Boston and Texas tied 0–0 through the first three innings before Red Sox second baseman Nick Sogard brought a runner home with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.
Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien tied it up 1–1 in the top of the fifth inning with an RBI single, but the Red Sox answered with a 3–1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Both Red Sox runs came about when Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle walked batters with the bases loaded.
Texas tied things up 3–3 in the top of the seventh when shortstop Corey Seager hit a two-run home run. The Rangers then took the lead in the top of the 10th as Josh Smith grounded out to score against Semien.
Boston answered by loading the bases in the bottom of the 10th. That included pinch hitter Mickey Gasper walking in his first MLB at-bat.
The Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with the victory, and they will face the Rangers again on Tuesday for the second game of Duran’s suspension. Besides missing two games, Duran also received a fine, and the money will go to the Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
“Our young fans are supposed to be able to look up to me as a role model, but tonight I fell far short of that responsibility,” Duran said in his Sunday statement. “I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed confidence that Duran has learned his lesson. The fourth-year star will return for the Red Sox’s Wednesday game against the Rangers.
