The Red Sox just swept the Yankees in four games. That alone is worth celebrating. But Jarren Duran took it a step further on Sunday. After his walk-off single in the 10th inning gave Boston a 5-4 win, cameras caught Duran flashing a double middle finger toward the stands.
Here’s what led to that.
Boston starter Sonny Gray was dealing all afternoon. He carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning, and the Red Sox held a 2-0 lead. Then the Yankees bats woke up. They scored four runs between the ninth and 10th, turning what looked like a sure win into a sudden hole for the home team.
But the Red Sox didn’t fold. They answered with three runs in the bottom of the 10th. Duran drove in Masataka Yoshida with the game-winning single. And when he got back to the dugout, he let the emotions out.
There’s some history here. Earlier in the series, Duran got into a verbal exchange with a Yankees fan. Video from the game shows him pointing at someone in the crowd while cursing, then throwing both middle fingers up as he walked off the field. The clip went viral almost immediately.
Duran hasn’t had the season people expected. He’s hitting just .200 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs through 82 games. That batting average is ugly, no way around it. But he’s also on pace for a 20-20 season in homers and stolen bases. He last did that in 2024, when he made the All-Star team.
The Red Sox are 36-46 and sitting 12.5 games back in the AL East. They’re not making the playoffs this year unless something dramatic changes. But beating the Yankees four times in a row, especially the way Sunday ended, gives them something to build on.
Duran’s gesture will probably earn him a fine from the league. The team hasn’t commented yet. But it’s hard to argue he doesn’t have a reason to be fired up. The Yankees are the Yankees. And he just beat them twice. Once with the bat. Once with the bird.
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