TAMPA — The Red Sox were trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by a run in the seventh inning Friday night at George Steinbrenner Field.

This was not how they wanted to open the last road trip of the season, not with a playoff spot hanging in the balance and the hard-charging Cleveland Guardians gaining ground in the standings .

Then Jarren Duran hit what may have been his biggest homer of the season. With Ceddanne Rafaela aboard to lead off the inning, Duran drove a pitch from Tampa lefty Garrett Cleavinger deep to right, easily clearing the fence to turns a one-run deficit into a one-run lead.

Duran knew the minute he connected that the ball was gone, and in the immediate aftermath, he could feel the relief.

“I honestly felt like a 20-pound weight was off my shoulders,” confessed Duran aft

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