The Boston Red Sox fell to the New York Yankees 4-3 in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series after a costly misplay in left field by Jarren Duran. The series is now tied 1-1, with a winner-take-all Game 3 set for Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
In the fifth inning, with the score tied, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit a soft liner to left. Duran, positioned deep, broke in but misjudged the ball, which skipped off the heel of his glove. Though it was ruled a hit, the misplay allowed the Bronx Bombers to take the lead and shifted the momentum in this Yankees vs. Red Sox Game 2 showdown.
In an article written after the loss, MassLive’s Sean McAdam shared quotes from the 29-year-old outfielder, who broke down the mishap in detail and took full responsibility for the mistake.
“I was just playing pretty deep on Judge,” Duran recounted. “And as I was coming in, I thought it was hit a little harder than it was. And then I (realized) I had gained more ground than I thought; I didn’t really have to go into a full dive there and I kind of pushed the ball on myself a little more and it got really up on me. It’s on me.”
He didn’t stop there, adding that the game was on his shoulders.
“This one’s going to sting a little bit,” said Duran. “I know that game’s 100 percent on me.”
Game 3 now centers on how the Red Sox respond. Rookie Connelly Early will start on the mound, while Duran is expected to remain in left field. Boston's season now rests on their young pitching and a bounce-back performance from a player who has taken full ownership of his mistake.
