SerpApi.Org
The Boston Red Sox traded for Caleb Durbin this offseason from the Milwaukee Brewers to be their starting third baseman.
Early in the season, though, as the Red Sox scuffled, Durbin was in a historic rut.
He began the season 0-for-18. Yep, in his first 18 at bats, he had no hits.
Durbin wasn't the only reason Boston struggled out of the gate, but he definitely wasn't helping the cause. It started to look like the Red Sox had potentially made a mistake in trading a package to the Brewers for the diminutive third baseman.
Lately, though, it's clear why the Red Sox got him.
Never has it been more clear than Monday night, when Durbin's clutch solo home run turned out to be the game winner on Boston's 14th win in a row:
MORE: A roller coaster win for 14 in a row
Over his last 30 games, Durbin is hitting .308 with seven home runs in 107 at bats to go with six stolen bases. His slugging percentage in that span is .551.
Mind you, Durbin is 5-foot-6. He's the kind of guy you overlook, and certainly not the guy you expect to homer once every 14 at bats.
But lately, Durbin has proven that no one should be overlooking him or the Red Sox.
This season is shaping up as a story that isn't about how they started, but how they're going and how they're hoping to finish.
Durbin won't care much how his first 18 at bats went if he keeps hitting like this. And the Red Sox won't care much about the first month of the season if they keep winning like this.
