Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran apologizes for aiming homophobic slur at fan

Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran issued an apology after he shouted a homophobic slur at a fan during a loss to the Houston Astros in Boston.

Duran used the slur during an at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning of the 10-2 setback Sunday at Fenway Park.

"During [Sunday's] game, I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan," Durant said in a statement. "I feel awful knowing how many people I offended and disappointed. I apologize to the entire Red Sox organization, but more importantly to the entire LGBTQ community.

"Our young fans are supposed to be able to look up to me as a role model, but [Sunday] I fell far short of that responsibility. I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person."

Duran was down 1-2 in the count with the Red Sox trailing 10-0 in the bottom of the sixth. The sequence could be heard on the NESN broadcast.

A fan shouted "Tennis racket, tennis racket, you need a tennis racket." Duran, who was outside the batter's box at the time, then turned around and aimed his words at the fan before settling back in.

He went on to earn a walk during the exchange. The Red Sox scored their only runs of the game later in the inning.

Duran, a first-time All-Star who earned MVP honors in the game last month, went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts, in addition to his walk. He is hitting .291 through a league-high 541 plate appearances. Duran also leads MLB with 13 triples and tops the American League with 36 doubles. His 121 strikeouts are the seventh-most in the American League.

"The Red Sox addressed this incident with Jarren immediately following [Sunday's] game," the Red Sox said in a statement. "We echo Jarren's apology to our fans, especially to the LGBTQ community.

"We strive to be an organization that welcomes all fans to Fenway Park, and we will continue to educate our employees, players, coaches and staff on the importance of inclusivity."

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, catcher Yordan Alvarez and shortstop Jeremy Pena each homered in Sunday's win. Bregman went 2 for 4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Pena went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Alvarez went 2 for 2 with two runs scored, an RBI and a walk.

Astros designated hitter Jose Altuve also recorded three hits. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who went 2 for 3, was the only Red Sox player to recorded multiple hits.

The Red Sox (61-55) will host the Texas Rangers (55-63) at 7:10 p.m. EDT Monday in Boston. The Astros (62-55) will battle the Tampa Bay Rays (59-58) at 6:50 p.m. Monday in St. Petersburg, Fla.