Jarren Duran debuts as chaos ensues at Red Sox-Yankees game

Author Alex Barth

July 18th, 2021 11:26 AM

Jarren Duran’s first MLB game was a memorable one – and that has nothing to do with his performance. The Red Sox’ second-ranked prospect finally made his debut Saturday night after two days of delays, in a game defined by questionable decisions from everyone involved.

After oddly-timed rain delays, multiple ejections, and an unruly fan, the Yankees walked away with a 3-1 win in six innings. Here’s the sequence of events that led to the final score and the shortened game.

• Opening rain delay

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  The original 7:05 start was delayed for an hour, due to inclement weather approaching the area. However, it was dry for the entire window between the scheduled and actual start.

• The game begins

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  Shortly after the game started, rain started falling in the Bronx. Most of the game was played in a heavy downpour, with the grounds crew frequently needing to work on the field.

• Tim Locastro tears ACL

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  Yankees outfielder Tim Locastro, who was acquired by the team via trade in early July, made a leaping catch up against the wall in the first inning. The Ithaca College grad could be seen grabbing his knee after the play, and was removed from the game. It was later reported he tore his ACL.
• Duran’s first hit

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  Duran's first MLB at-bat ended with his first major league hit - a line drive single into right field off Gerrit Cole. He'd come around to score on a Christian Arroyo single, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the second.

• Questionable calls

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  In the middle innings, there were a number of close calls that went the Yankees way. That included two safe/out calls and a check swinging/strike three call - which led to calls from the dugout and the ejections of catcher Kevin Plawecki and bench coach Will Venable.

• Fan throws baseball at Verdugo

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  Shortly after that, as the Red Sox were taking the field for the sixth inning with the game tied 1-1, a fan threw a baseball at Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo. Alex Cora pulled his team off the field in order to give Verdugo time to cool off, but the umpiring crew quickly had them return to continue the game. The fan who threw the ball was escorted out by stadium security, with Yankees manager Aaron Boone commenting after the game, "Hopefully, he’s in jail right now."
• Yankees take the lead

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  The inning following the incident would end up being a deciding factor. Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back solo shots off Hirokazu Sawamura, giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead.

• Game called early

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  Following that sixth inning, the game was once again suspended due to the weather. Despite the rain stopping shortly after the pause began, the game was called after a 52-minute rain delay.

The win was the Yankees’ first in eight tries against the Red Sox this year, and Boston still leads the season series 7-1. Despite the loss, the Red Sox remain 1.5 games up in first place in the AL East with a 56-37 record. The Yankees sit in fourth place, and are 47-44.

MORE: Who will the Red Sox target at the trade deadline?

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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Author Alex Barth

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