Boston Red Sox’ ‘Big guy’ was ‘the umpire’ on Jarren Duran’s steal of home

Boston Red Sox’ ‘Big guy’ was ‘the umpire’ on Jarren Duran’s steal of home
Boston Red Sox’ Jarren Duran is congratulated by teammates after stealing home in the third inning Saturday. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

CLEVELAND — Rafael Devers was batting with an 0-0 count when Jarren Duran took off and recorded Boston’s first straight steal of home since Jacoby Ellsbury did it exactly 16 years ago (April 26, 2009) against the Yankees.

 “Everybody’s excited, especially the big guy,” manager Alex Cora joked. “He was the umpire on that play. Raffy, he called him safe.”

Duran went 3-for-5 with a triple, three runs and two RBIs The Red Sox won 7-3 over the Guardians in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday after Cleveland won the first game, 5-4, here at Progressive Field.


Devers made the safe sign as Duran dived across home plate. The DH remained adamant Duran was safe when the Guardians challenged the call. It was upheld.

“They challenged it and he (Devers) is like, ‘No, he’s safe. I saw it,’” Cora said.

Duran was on third base after ripping an RBI triple to make it 5-0. His steal made it 6-0.

“First of all, the triple, that’s exciting,” Cora said. “And for him to do it right away that was great. It was fun to watch.”

Duran and third base coach Kyle Hudson knew there was an opportunity to steal home once rookie starter Doug Nikhazy decided to pitch from the windup instead of the stretch.

“Me and Huddy saw him mention to the third base umpire he was going to go from the windup,” Duran said. “Me and Huddy, we started talking right away like, ‘I’m gonna go first pitch here if he gives it to me.’”

Duran entered 3-for-31 against lefties this year. But he had two hits against Nikhazy, a 25-year-old lefty making his MLB debut. He also had a hit against left-handed reliever Kolby Allard.

“He’s one of the most exciting players in baseball,” Red Sox starter Walker Buehler said. “I’ve watched him from afar and seen a lot of it from afar. Obviously I don’t think he’s off to the start that he kind of wanted to. But there’s nobody in baseball that more often can hit a triple and steal home. The past couple of weeks he’s hitting the (expletive) out of the ball. He’s hitting the ball hard. And now it’s kind of coming to fruition for him.”

  • Some Things I Think I Think: Exactly one month in, Red Sox are a disappointment
  • Boston Red Sox’ ‘big, strong’ 18-year-old prospect belts two 110 mph homers
  • What Boston Red Sox’ Jarren Duran saw pitcher do before he stole home
  • Red Sox reactions: Speedster steals home exactly 16 years after Jacoby Ellsbury did it
  • Boston Red Sox’ Jarren Duran steals home

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Related Posts

Braves bring back postseason hero Ian Anderson

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

Red Sox Jarren Duran Confronts Fan Taunting Him About Suicide Attempt

Explore the latest on the Red Sox as Jarren Duran excels with a hot hitting streak and resilience on the field.

Yankees’ Aaron Boone breaks silence on demoting Devin Williams from closer role

Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke about demoting Devin Williams from the closer role after another blown save.

Cubs rumors: Bob Nightengale makes $500 million Kyle Tucker prediction

The MLB insider thinks Cubs star Kyle Tucker may have improved his value by hundreds of millions of dollars over the past month.

SF Gіаntѕ аmong 4 teаmѕ wіth loweѕt bonuѕ рool іn 2026 іnternаtіonаl free аgency cycle

Despite a light bonus pool, the SF Giants landed one of the top prospects during the 2025 international free agency cycle. They will be in a similar position in

Cаrdіnаlѕ’ Nolаn Arenаdo mаkeѕ brutаlly honeѕt 2024 аdmіѕѕіon

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Nolan Arenado got real after his walk-off home run, comparing himself to where he was in 2024.