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In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Red Sox outfielder was 0 for 2 with two strikeouts as he walked out to the Fenway Park batter's box in a game Boston was losing big in what wound up being a 10-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday, Aug. 11.
As Duran approached the box, a fan screamed that Duran needed a tennis racket to get a hit. The All-Star squawked back, "Shut up, you "f**king f**got." It's unclear if the umpire heard it, but the slur was audible on the NECN game microphones.
By the time the game ended, the clip of Duran using a gay slur had already gone viral.
Duran released a statement to The Athletic calling his language "horrific" and apologized to the LGBTQ community.
During tonight’s game, I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan. 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 tonight I fell far short of that responsibility. I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.
The Red Sox have not said what punishment Duran could face, but said it spoke with him about the incident after the game.
Earlier that day, Duran was awarded the "Heart and Hustle Award" because he embodies "the values and traditions" of the sport.
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