Red Sox's Caleb Durbin gets booed, snaps season-opening hitless streak in Boston home opener
BOSTON (AP) — Caleb Durbin experienced something in his first game at Fenway Park as a member of the Boston Red Sox that few others have before him. He was booed and cheered in the same afternoon. Durbin, who entered the day 0 for 18 from the plate during the Red Sox’s first six games, was showered with boos when he was introduced prior to Boston's home opener against San Diego on Friday.
He then got similar treatment after grounding out via a dribbler in front of home plate during his first at-bat in the second inning. But all was forgiven two innings later when he snapped his hitless streak with an RBI single that put Boston in front 2-0 and helped it snap a five-game losing streak with Friday's 5-2 victory. It ended Durbin's overall hitless streak of 34 plate appearances, which dated to Sept.
22, 2025, when he was still with Milwaukee. “Obviously it felt good. ...
Just good to come through for the guys," Durbin said. "Obviously getting the first one over with was good, too. ” Aside from the lack of offense, Durbin's struggles to start the season have been scrutinized even more given what happened to his immediate predecessors at third base.
All-Star Rafael Devers was traded to San Francisco last June after his relationship with the team began to deteriorate when Boston signed Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman during spring training and asked Devers to move to DH. Bregman then signed with the Chicago Cubs in the offseason. Enter the 26-year-old Durbin, who has looked little like the player who had 11 home runs and 56 RBIs as a rookie in 136 games with Milwaukee in 2025.