The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-4 on Friday night at Dodger Stadium behind a five-run seventh inning. The win pushed Boston to 58-51 and capped a 21-4 July, the best month in franchise history.
The comeback against the back-to-back World Series champions continued a stretch that has transformed Boston’s season. The Red Sox have won 22 of their last 26 games, and the lineup has found different ways to produce every night.
In his pregame availability, manager Chad Tracy addressed a question that followed the team from Sacramento to Los Angeles.
Tracy Makes Duran Statement
Jarren Duran carries a .195 average on the season. His OPS sits near the bottom of the league at .589. For a player who won All-Star Game MVP in 2024 and topped 70 extra-base hits in consecutive seasons, this season has fallen below his own standards.
Tracy sees it a bit differently. He argued the full picture extends well beyond the batting average.
“You can’t ignore what he’s capable of doing, you can’t ignore the month he had in May,” Tracy said. “You can’t ignore the level of defense that he plays, you can’t ignore that he can bunt against lefties, he can get a safety squeeze down, he can sac bunt, he can steal a base…you can’t ignore that he’s hitting .280 with RISP.”
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 31: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox singles in a run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
What Happened in Sacramento
Thursday’s incident brought Duran’s frustration into public view. He flied out to left field in the sixth inning of a tied game against the Athletics. Willson Contreras stayed at third, choosing not to tag on the play. Duran returned to the dugout visibly animated, making his frustration clear.
Tracy downplayed the episode, saying it was far less significant than the public reaction suggested. He acknowledged there was “more to that than maybe what’s getting put out there” but kept the details internal.
Duran directed his anger squarely at his own performance. He spoke with Contreras afterward. Tracy said everyone is in a good place.
Final Word for the Red Sox
Ceddanne Rafaela hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh. Brayan Bello threw four scoreless innings to close it out. This team keeps finding ways.
Duran is part of that. Not always in the way that the Red Sox expect, but Tracy’s defense was not blind faith. It was a manager pointing to everything the box score misses.
The bat needs to come around. Duran will try and prove Tracy right.
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