There was a different energy at Fenway Park on Friday night—and it wasn't just because of the interim manager in the dugout. Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett made his major league debut a memorable one, and Jarren Duran delivered the kind of swing that can change the course of a season. The Red Sox topped the Astros 3-1, giving Boston a much-needed win at home.
Through the first 31 games, the Red Sox have been searching for a moment to breathe, a swing that lets the entire dugout exhale. Duran provided that in the bottom of the third inning. Trailing 1-0, Boston needed a spark. Carlos Narváez worked an 11-pitch walk, and Caleb Durbin followed with a single off Astros starter Mike Burrows. That brought Duran to the plate, and he didn't miss his chance. On a curveball over the heart of the plate, Duran crushed it 407 feet over the bullpens at 104 mph off the bat. It was his second home run of the season, and it gave the Red Sox a 3-1 lead. For a team that has lacked game-changing swings all year, this one was massive.
Bennett's debut didn't start smoothly. He walked two batters in the first inning and needed 27 pitches to record his first three outs. But the rookie settled in beautifully. He allowed just one run—a solo home run to Carlos Correa—and scattered five hits over five innings. He struck out three, including fanning Yordan Alvarez for his first career punchout. Bennett's pitch count was a concern coming in, as he hadn't pitched since April 22 and threw only 68 pitches in that outing. He finished with 85 pitches (58 strikes) before handing the ball to Zack Kelly with a 3-1 lead in the sixth.
There were positive signs from Roman Anthony at the plate, which is welcome news for a lineup that has struggled to find consistency. Anthony entered the game in a 4-for-31 slump over his last nine games, but he broke out in a big way. He singled in the third, then ripped a 100.9 mph hustle double into the right-field gap—his best swing in days. He added a leadoff single in the eighth against left-hander Bryan King. It was Anthony's first multi-hit game since April 15 and just the fourth three-hit game of his MLB career. For a young player finding his footing, nights like this can be the foundation for a breakout.
The bullpen took it from there, holding a two-run lead for four innings and sealing the win. It wasn't a perfect game, but for a team looking for a spark, it was exactly what they needed.