CLEVELAND — Red Sox speedster Jarren Duran’s lead extended almost halfway down the third base line, then he took off.
Duran stole home in the top of the third inning Saturday here at Progressive Field, beating out Guardians starting pitcher Doug Nikhazy’s throw to the plate.
It marked Duran’s first straight steal of home in the majors and it gave the Red Sox a 6-0 lead.
It also marked Boston’s first straight steal of home since Jacoby Ellsbury did it exactly 16 years ago (April 26, 2009).
Billy Hatcher previously did it for the Red Sox in April 1994.
See Duran’s steal here.
Duran is one of the fastest players in the big leagues. He tied for the MLB lead with 14 triples last year. He had 35 steals in 2024. He’s 9-for-11 in stolen base attempts this year.
Duran entered 3-for-31 against lefties. But he had two hits against Nikhazy, a lefty making his MLB debut.
His RBI single (108.2 mph off the bat) in the second inning put Boston ahead 2-0. His RBI triple in the third inning made it 5-0. He then stole home with the next hitter, Rafael Devers, even 1-1 in the count.
The Guardians challenged the call but it was upheld. A fired-up Duran shouted and celebrated with teammates on his way to the dugout.
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