Jarren Duran homers again as Red Sox complete sweep of Royals

It was a coming-out party offensively for Jarren Duran over the final two games of the series in Kansas City.

With one swing Tuesday night, Duran broke the game open and helped power the Red Sox to victory. He followed it up in even bigger fashion Wednesday.

Duran launched a go-ahead two-run homer to left field in the seventh inning, lifting Boston to a 4-3 victory over the Royals and completing the club’s second series sweep of the season. 

For a Red Sox lineup that has spent much of the year searching for offense, Duran has suddenly started looking like the catalyst the club expected him to be at the top of the order.

“It was just a good all-around win for us,” Duran told NESN’s Jahmai Webster on the field following the game.

Duran’s biggest swing came in the seventh inning.

Facing Royals reliever Steven Cruz, the outfielder drove a 366-foot opposite-field two-run homer into the Red Sox bullpen in left field, turning a one-run deficit into a 4-3 Boston lead.

“I'm trending in the upward direction, and I'm just trying to stay simple and do stuff to help the team win,” said Duran.

Later in the game, Duran ripped a 114.1 mph rocket into the right-center field gap for his first triple of the season, another encouraging sign that the dynamic outfielder may finally be heating up after a sluggish start to the year.

“I was getting roasted by everybody that Willson and Masa (Yoshida) both had a triple here and I didn’t, so it was just good to get that one off the books so they can’t roast me anymore,” Duran said.

Duran’s impact wasn’t limited to the batter’s box.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Red Sox outfielder raced toward the left-field line and made a leaping catch in foul territory, robbing the Royals of another potential baserunner and continuing an impressive night defensively.

“I'm willing to get hurt to make a play for my pitchers, so I wasn't really thinking about [the railing or the netting],” said Duran. “I was just trying to make a play for Earls. He’s going really good, and I was just trying to give him one easy out.”

Connelly Early turned in another quality outing Wednesday afternoon, pitching into the seventh inning despite surrendering a pair of home runs.

The rookie left-hander was tagged for a 379-foot solo homer by Salvador Perez in the first inning before Elias Díaz connected for a two-run shot in the fifth that briefly put Kansas City ahead 3-2.

The southpaw did not allow a home run in any of his first eight major league starts, a stretch that included his 2025 American League Wild Card start against the Yankees. Over his last seven starts, however, Early has surrendered nine home runs, including two Wednesday against the Royals.

Even so, Early battled through 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out five to keep the Red Sox within striking distance until Duran delivered the decisive blow. The left-hander threw 93 pitches, 63 for strikes, and racked up 13 swing-and-misses.

Boston was opposed by a familiar face in Michael Wacha, who turned in a strong outing despite taking a no-decision. The former Red Sox right-hander worked six innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out eight.

Wacha matched a season high by throwing 105 pitches, 69 for strikes, and generated 16 swings and misses as he repeatedly frustrated Boston hitters throughout the night.

Willson Contreras helped spark Boston’s offense early, tripling in the second inning for just the second time in the last four seasons. His leadoff three-bagger ignited a two-run rally that gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

Nick Sogard followed with an RBI single to tie the game before a Carlos Narváez ground-ball double play brought home the go-ahead run.

The Red Sox continued their recent trend of consistently putting runners on base, finishing with 11 hits for the afternoon. It marked Boston’s fourth consecutive game with at least nine hits. The club also drew three walks but struck out 10 times.

Despite the offensive output, the Red Sox left plenty of opportunities on the field.

They stranded two runners in the third inning, failed to cash in Sogard’s leadoff walk in the fourth, and left Ceddanne Rafaela’s one-out double untouched in the sixth.

Overall, Boston went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners.

The victory also marked the fifth comeback win of the season for Boston. Red Sox opponents have scored first in 25 of the club’s 49 games this year, making Wednesday’s comeback another encouraging sign for a team that has struggled to consistently play from behind.

“Bats kind of came to life this week, which was really nice to see,” interim manager Chad Tracy said to reporters. 

Greg Weissert replaced Early and delivered one of his better outings of the season, retiring all four batters he faced across 1 1/3 scoreless innings. For Weissert, the performance was a welcome sight. The righty entered the game with a 4.86 ERA across 19 appearances this season and had already been charged with two blown saves.

Jovani Morán followed by recording the final out of the eighth inning before Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the ninth to secure the victory.

Chapman’s ninth inning wasn’t entirely drama-free.

Starling Marte opened the frame with a bloop single into right field and later advanced to second on a passed ball during Carter Jensen’s strikeout. But Chapman regrouped, getting Lane Thomas to fly out to shallow right field before inducing a game-ending groundout from Maikel Garcia.

The veteran closer continues to be nearly untouchable. Chapman has not blown a save since July 23, 2025, in Philadelphia and has now converted 27 consecutive save opportunities dating back to July 26 of last season.

That streak is tied with Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias for the longest active run in Major League Baseball and ranks as the third-longest save streak in Red Sox history since the statistic became official in 1969. Only Koji Uehara’s 31 consecutive saves from July 9, 2013 through June 16, 2014, and Tom Gordon’s franchise-record 54 straight saves from April 19, 1998 through May 31, 1999, are longer.

The sweep improved Boston to 22-27 overall and 14-13 on the road, while Kansas City fell to 20-30.

The Red Sox have now won four of their last five games and will enjoy an off day Thursday before returning to Fenway Park for a weekend series against the Minnesota Twins.

Boston is scheduled to send rookie left-hander Payton Tolle (2-2, 2.05 ERA) to the mound Friday night opposite Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (1-2, 2.88 ERA).