Boston Red Sox All-Star Jarren Duran made headlines on Sunday for the wrong reasons.
The 27-year-old Jarren Duran is enjoying a breakout season that resulted in his first MLB All-Star Game selection last month. But on Sunday, failed to maintain his composure while dealing with a heckling fan.
Duran was batting in the bottom of the sixth inning, with the Red Sox trailing 10-0 at home to the Houston Astros. Between pitches, a fan can be heard yelling at Duran that he needs to get “a tennis racket.”
Duran ignores the first couple of heckles but finally snaps, turning back to the fan and yelling “Shut up you f**king fa***t.” The interaction can be heard below, but do be warned that it contains a homophobic slur and expletives:
Per ESPN, Jarren Duran apologized after the game and expressed regret over his choice of words, adding that he’s going to use the incident to educate himself and grow:
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
“During tonight’s game, I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan. I feel awful knowing how many people I offended and disappointed. I apologize to the entire Red Sox organization, but more importantly to the entire LGBTQ community. Our young fans are supposed to be able to look up to me as a role model, but tonight I fell far short of that responsibility. I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.”
The Red Sox also apologized and said they continue to “strive” for inclusion.
Duran went 0-for-3 at the plate on Sunday and drew one walk. The Astros cruised to a 10-2 victory over the Red Sox to complete the three-game sweep at Fenway Park, delivering a giant blow to Boston’s postseason hopes.
Duran is now batting .291 with 14 homers and 58 RBI with an OPS of .853.
Jarren Duran & Red Sox Aim To Bounce Back From Tough Weekend
Boston’s three-game sweep at the hands of Houston dropped them to three games behind the Kansas City Royals for the final AL wild card sport, though it should be noted that Boston has two games in hand.
The slumping Red Sox will try to get back on a winning track when they host the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers on Monday. After hosting the AL West club for a three-game set, Boston will travel to Baltimore to begin a four-game series against the Orioles.
Also Read: Power Ranking All 30 MLB Teams After Week 18 Games
