Jarren Duran makes Red Sox history on the basepaths

BOSTON -- As the leadoff hitter of the Boston Red Sox, Jarren Duran's first goal is to get on base. When he accomplishes that, his goal shifts to causing some mayhem on the basepaths.

Duran succeeded in the latter throughout Boston's first five games of the season, but caused the most havoc in Monday night's 9-0 win over the lowly Athletics in Oakland. Duran swiped three bags in Boston's victory, bringing his theft total for the young season up to five.

The 27-year-old Duran became the first player in Red Sox history to steal five bases over the team's first five games of a season. It puts him above a group of seven other Red Sox who stole four bases over the team's opening five games: Tommy Dowd (1901), Harry Lord (1909), Tris Speaker (1915), Harry Hooper (1920), Johnny Watwood (1932), Jerry Remy (1978) and Otis Nixon (1994). (H/T to Ian Browne of RedSox.com.)

Whenever Duran gets on base, chaos almost always ensues. After leading off Monday night's game with a single to left field, Duran needed just two pitches to get in head of A's starter Joe Boyle. His dancing on first prompted Boyle to throw over, and Duran was off on Boyle's third pitch to Rafael Devers. 

He swiped the bag and then got to third when catcher Shea Langeliers' throw went into the outfield. Two batters later, Duran was crossing home for the game's first run on an RBI single by Triston Casas.

Duran was on again with an infield single in the top of the second, and he promptly stole second base. He came through with an RBI single in the third, driving in Emmanuel Valdez to make it a 6-0 game, and then swiped second to complete his stolen base hat trick. 

For those keeping count at home, that was three hits and three steals for Duran in just three innings of play. And he wasn't done.

The speedster made it to third base after his third theft when Boyle tried to pick him off from second but threw it high and wide, putting Duran's fingerprints on two of Oakland's five errors on the night. He scored his second run of the evening a few moments later when Trevor Story ripped a two-run double.

Duran not only logged the second three-steal game of his career on Monday night, but he broke out of his 2-for-16 start of the season with a 3-for-5 effort at the dish. 

Before he went down with an injury last season, Duran showed that he is capable of setting the table for the Boston offense. He's got a dynamic skillset that will not only let him score a bunch of runs for Boston, but also make life miserable for opposing pitchers and defenses whenever he reaches base. 

Jarren Duran is going to cause a lot of mischief on the basepaths this season, much to the benefit of the Boston Red Sox.