Red Sox’s Jarren Duran points to main issue plaguing offense in Yankees series

The Boston Red Sox continued their offensive slump in a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

Boston managed just five hits in the defeat, with Jarren Duran accounting for three of them, including two doubles off Max Fried. Duran also came through with the team’s only run with a ninth-inning RBI single, ending a 29-inning scoreless streak against New York dating back to last season. For all his success in the game, he stressed a broader concern: hitters pressing too much at the plate.

“I’d say we’re putting pressure on ourselves,” said Duran. “I think that we’re just trying to do too much. We’re trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. But at the end of the day, I mean, we’re not really in a hole. It’s still early.”

Through the first two games of the series, the Red Sox have produced just one run on nine total hits across 18 innings. They have now been held to one run or fewer six times this season, including five instances in their last eight games. Overall, Boston ranks 26th in MLB with 90 runs, averaging 3.75 per game, and has scored two or fewer runs in six of its last eight contests.

Moreover, the Red Sox have hit just five home runs over their last 17 games, their lowest such stretch since May 1993. On the season, they are tied for last in the league with 13 home runs and hold the second-lowest OPS in the MLB.

The woes have contributed to a 9-15 record, placing Boston last in the AL East, six games behind New York. Their offensive issues have been magnified against upper-echelon pitching, particularly Fried, who tossed eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts on Wednesday and now holds a 1.10 ERA against the Red Sox in five starts with the Yankees.

Roster construction has also played a role, with a lack of right-handed power and inconsistent lineup usage limiting offensive consistency. Meanwhile, Duran, seeing less action, following 735 plate appearances in 2024 and 696 in 2025, points to a team still trying to get all its ducks in a row. The 2024 All-Star is keeping his head on straight, reminding everyone the season is still in its early days with just 14.8% of the 162-game journey behind them.

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