Swing alterations helping spark Red Sox's slow-starting Jarren Duran originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Boston Red Sox's World Series-winning manager Alex Cora is gone. The team enters Monday's series-opening matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays at 11-17 and in last place in the AL East, seven games behind the first-place New York Yankees.

Jarren Duran may be starting to figure out how to again take advantage of his speed and base-running aggressiveness and stop flipping off fans.

While batting .189 during his opening 90 at-bats, Duran's new batting style helped him compile a four-game hit streak. It ended Sunday, but he reached base three times and stole a base as the Red Sox won their second-straight game and first without Cora, a 5-3 decision over the host Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox's outfield-heavy lineup remains a mess, but Duran's batting adjustments appear to have straightened out his swing.

By abandoning his leg kick and adopting a less dramatic toe tap last week, Duran went 4-for-9 during the New York Yankees series, including two doubles off the Green Monster against left-hander Max Fried. Duran compiled three of the team's five hits in the series finale as the Yankees rolled to a series sweep.

When he's comfortable at the plate, Duran drives the ball to the opposite field. In 2024, he finished No. 8 in AL MVP voting, collecting 21 homers and a .834 OPS.

This spring, Duran looked like he would recapture his '24 form, going 12-for-22 with six homers and a 2.130 OPS during spring training and World Baseball Classic outings.

After run-ins with Red Sox fans in the past, Duran started the regular season in a funk, going 6-for-37. The 29-year-old left fielder/designated hitter heard additional criticism.

Will Duran's new batting approach continue to spark the Red Sox's offense against the Blue Jays and silence the expletives?