Boston Red Sox
“That is ridiculous. … That is such a tired act, Lenny.”
Jarren Duran caused quite the stir in the baseball world overnight. Michael Reaves/Getty Images
July 31, 2026 | 6:04 PM
3 minutes to read
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran went hitless during Thursday night’s come-from-behind win against the Athletics, but that didn’t prevent him from making headlines.
Duran went viral for appearing to call out teammate Willson Contreras and/or third base coach Chad Epperson for not tagging up on a fly ball amid a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning.
After the game, Duran downplayed the situation, as did Contreras and interim manager Chad Tracy. But broadcasters and fans alike took issue with Duran’s decision to make an on-field display.
NESN’s broadcast, which featured Mike Monaco on play-by-play and Lou Merloni on color commentary, was simply confused by the situation in the moment.
“I don’t know what that was about,” Merloni said. “That was too shallow. Too shallow to score there.”
WEEI’s feed, which had Will Flemming and Lenny DiNardo on the call, was open about its disdain for Duran’s outburst.
“Jarren Duran looked like he was upset Contreras didn’t come home and score,” Flemming said. “Are you kidding me? What is that?”
“I have no idea what that was,” DiNardo responded.
“That is ridiculous. … That is such a tired act, Lenny.”
Similar to Merloni’s perspective, DiNardo said Contreras had no chance at scoring on the throw by left fielder Tyler Soderstrom.
“If (Contreras) would have gone right there, he forced the throw, he would have been out by 10 feet,” DiNardo said.
“What are we doing? You cannot do that,” Flemming said. “Duran just slammed an iPad down. … Look, we get it. You’re a struggling hitter. You’re frustrated. It’s been a long year. [It’s a] team game. You cannot do that!”
“Even if you feel that way, guess what? Keep it to yourself,” DiNardo said.
Dumbfounded reactions to Duran’s actions weren’t expressed by just Boston broadcasts. The Athletics’ television feed held comparable feelings.
“Not sure if he’s gesturing at Willson Contreras, but it did not look like he was terribly pleased at all,” NBC Sports Bay Area/California color commentator Dallas Braden said. “He’s 100 percent questioning why [Contreras] was not sent.”
Chris Caray, the play-by-play voice, questioned whether Duran was expressing his distaste at the lack of a send toward Contreras or Epperson.
Braden went on to say he was certain Duran had actually been talking to Epperson.
“I’m gonna tell you right now, you’re questioning Chad Epperson, the third base coach, if you’re going to react in this fashion here,” Braden said. “Because it’s Contreras who is gonna make the decision.
“We’re talking about a former backstop now first baseman. He’d have been out by a week. You’re not even close.”
Braden also said Duran could have gone about communicating his feelings differently.
“There’s a difference between being a fiery competitor and showing your coaching staff up, showing your teammate up,” Braden said.
CBS Sports MLB insider Julian McWilliams reported on Friday Duran more so took issue with Epperson than Contreras.
“A source confirmed that Duran’s frustration was, in fact, directed toward the third-base area, specifically Epperson more than Contreras,” McWilliams wrote.
Additionally, Duran seemed to have been separated, either intentionally or not, from his teammates in the dugout after the fact. He did not place the celebratory Wally the Green Monster head on Wilyer Abreu or Contreras after the pair hit back-to-back home runs to give the Red Sox the lead in the eighth inning. Duran has most commonly been the one to do so.
Duran is no stranger to making his emotions known on the baseball field, but Thursday was a different story. Instead of directing anger toward fans in the stands, he acted out toward fellow Red Sox.
There’s no guarantee Duran will remain in Boston after Monday’s MLB trade deadline. McWilliams reported the Red Sox are open to trading Duran, who’s been with the big-league club since 2021.
“The Red Sox, clear buyers after a 15-game winning streak helped them surge back into the playoff race, are willing to trade outfielder Jarren Duran before Monday’s trade deadline, multiple sources told CBS Sports.”
Whether another organization would be willing to make a deal for Duran following his antics remains to be seen.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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