Morning Sports Update

How an elated Jarren Duran reacted to hitting a home run in the MLB All-Star Game and winning MVP

"It was a surreal moment."

Jarren Duran
Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran after winning All-Star Game MVP. Stacy Revere/Getty Images

By Hayden Bird

Jarren Duran sounds off on All-Star MVP: The year of Jarren Duran continued in Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game, as the Red Sox outfielder smashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.

It ended up being the difference for the A.L. in a 5-3 win, and Duran was rewarded with the game’s MVP award.

“I know he throws really hard, so I was like, ‘All right, I hope he’s throwing me a fastball first pitch so I can see how hard it is,’” Duran said to Fox Sports reporter Kevin Burkhardt in a postgame interview about facing Reds starter Hunter Greene . “And then he gave me a good pitch to put a good swing on it.”

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Duran confessed to have indulged himself in an unprecedented celebration.

“That’s probably the first pitch I’ve ever pimped in my life and I was just trying to soak it all in,” he admitted. “It was a surreal moment.”

In the postgame press conference, Duran confessed that he still processing what had just happened.

“It’s hard to put into words,” he explained. “I feel like it won’t hit me until I try to go to sleep tonight. But who knows if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

Duran earned his place in the Midsummer Classic by hitting .284 with 10 home runs and a league-high 10 triples in the first half of the season. He also has 22 stolen bases.

The 27-year-old has been a crucial component of the Red Sox recent surge. Boston enters the second half 53-42, 4.5 games behind the first place Orioles in the American League East.

Trivia: Jarren Duran is the fifth Red Sox player to win All-Star MVP (the award began in 1962). Can you name the other four to do it?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: The years in which they won were 1970, 1986, 1999, and 2008.

Scores and schedules:

Jarren Duran hit a two-run home run to give the American League the lead for good in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday. Duran was named MVP as the A.L. came away with a 5-3 victory.

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The Red Sox have a small break before returning to play on Friday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers at 10:10 p.m.

Tonight, the Revolution will be in Philadelphia to play the Union a little after 7:30 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

Celtics rookie already winning over fans: First-round pick Baylor Scheierman displayed an all-out style during the team’s recent summer league game.

On this day: In 1930, Fall River native Bert Patenaude scored the first ever hat-trick in World Cup history as the U.S. men’s team defeated Paraguay 3-0 to complete the group stage undefeated.

While the Associated Press account at the time only credited Patenaude with one goal — and incorrectly attributed fellow Fall River native Billy Gonsalves with a goal — U.S. soccer historian Colin Jose would eventually uncover the truth decades later. Finally, in 2006, FIFA officially amended its records, meaning that the Mass. local became the first to achieve such a feat in the history of the prestigious international tournament.

The U.S. would go onto finish third in the tournament, which remains the best run in the history of the men’s team at the World Cup.

US beats Paraguay 1930 World Cup Boston Globe

Daily highlight: New England pro soccer team Vermont Green FC advanced in the USL League Two Playoffs thanks to a late winner from Yaniv Bazini (who marked the occasion of his birthday with a special moment).

Trivia answer: Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, J.D. Drew

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