Red Sox reactions: Jarren Duran has big swing as rookie lefty wins MLB debut vs. Astros

BOSTON — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (13-19) beat the Astros, 3-1, in Jake Bennett’s major league debut and Jarren Duran powers the offense: 1) Through 31 games, the Red Sox simply haven’t had many swings that have allowed them to breathe as a team. Jarren Duran had one Friday in the Fenway Park debut of interim manager Chad Tracy. Boston was trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third when Carlos Narváez walked (in an 11-pitch plate appearance) and Caleb Durbin singled off Astros starter Mike Burrows to spark a rally.

Duran — who entered hitting . 170 with a single homer and a . 481 OPS — then got a curveball over the plate and crushed it over the bullpens (407 feet) with an exit velocity of 104 mph.

The Red Sox have barely had any game-turning swings all season and Duran’s was a massive one. It was the difference in the game. 2) Bennett walked back-to-back batters with two outs in the first and needed 27 pitches to get his first three big league outs.

He recovered to post an impressive debut line, allowing just one run (on a Carlos Correa homer) on five hits . He struck out three, including Yordan Alvarez for his first career punch-out. Bennett’s pitch count was limited because he hadn’t pitched since April 22 and only went 68 pitches in that outing.