Caleb Durbin Reveals 'Backbone' Fueling Red Sox's Stunning Turnaround

Caleb Durbin Reveals 'Backbone' Fueling Red Sox's Stunning Turnaround originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

After a rough March and April, the Boston Red Sox have gotten off to a much better start in May. They've opened the month 4-2 and just pulled off their first sweep of the season against the Detroit Tigers , returning home with some serious momentum.

Several Red Sox players are heating up, including new third baseman Caleb Durbin . After a sluggish start at the plate, he's notched three hits and two RBI over his last two games.

While Boston's offense has finally started waking up, the defense has been exceptional , especially in the outfield. Durbin praised the team's terrific fielding after Wednesday's 4-0 victory over the Tigers.

"It's fun to watch. I catch myself just watching them sometimes and being amazed," Durbin told NESN after Wednesday's game. "It's fun playing with those guys. Our defense as a whole has been solid. It's kind of been the backbone right now, and as soon as the offense really takes off, it's gonna be fun."

After years of struggling defensively , the Red Sox rank near the top of the league in many fielding categories this year, including total zone runs, defensive runs saved and outs above average.

Boston's stellar outfield defense is a big reason why, but the infield defense has also improved with Willson Contreras at first base and Durbin at the hot corner.

Fielding is a key part of the Red Sox's run prevention strategy , and it's been a clear bright spot so far.

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