BOSTON — Jarren Duran let his bat do the talking on Friday night at Fenway Park, slugging a two-run home run in the fourth inning to help the Boston Red Sox defeat the Detroit Tigers 5-3. The performance came just days after a fan incident in Minneapolis drew widespread attention and prompted comments from manager Alex Cora, who acknowledged the difficulty of Duran's situation.

Cora had spoken openly on Thursday about the episode, telling reporters, 'It's hard. I'm not in his shoes.' The manager's measured response set a tone of support around the clubhouse, and Duran appeared energized entering Friday's home game. The crowd at Fenway gave him a warm reception, and he delivered early, pulling a Tarik Skubal fastball over the Green Monster in the fourth to give Boston a 3-1 lead.

The Red Sox bullpen held Detroit's lineup in check through the middle innings before a two-run Tigers rally in the seventh tightened the score to 5-3. Boston closer Kenley Jansen, however, worked a clean ninth to seal the win, preserving the victory for starter Brayan Bello, who went six innings and allowed one earned run.

The win moved Boston to 10-8 on the young season, keeping them within reach of the AL East leaders. Cora praised Duran's composure after the game, saying the outfielder showed maturity by channeling the week's noise into a productive performance rather than letting it become a distraction.

For the Tigers, the loss dropped them to 9-9 and continued a stretch of road struggles. Detroit managed only six hits against Boston's pitching staff and left eight runners on base, a recurring issue for the club in recent outings. The series continues Saturday afternoon at Fenway.