Brian Van Belle logs third-straight seven-inning start, conquers a 'boogeyman'
But more than just saving the bullpen arms in Worcester, Van Belle has done something else this season: gone from someone who was a question to make it out of spring training to a legitimate starting or long relief option should the Red Sox be in need.
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Van Belle transitioned to the bullpen for the bulk of the 2024 season and found a lot of success. From July to the end of the season, Van Belle pitched almost exclusively in relief and posted a 2.27 ERA, holding the opposition to a .230 batting average.
A big part of his success came from making arm slot changes while he was on the development list earlier in 2024.
'We were working on lowering the slot, putting a two-seam in his hand,' Tracy said. 'Let's create movement because he was way more over the top, just [throwing a] flat four-seam at 90, 89 miles an hour, and it wasn't working.'
The changes made a notable difference. Compare his numbers as a starter in 2024 to those when he's pitching in relief: an 8.05 ERA with 16 walks and 29 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings as a starter, compared to a 2.47 ERA with 14 walks and 54 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
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But the needs of the WooSox dictated Van Belle's role this year, forcing him to move out of the space where he had success and back into the starting rotation. Tracy said that Van Belle had come to like the routine (or lack there of) when it comes to pitching in relief - 'they don't have much time to prepare for him, and he just pounds the zone' - and the idea of shifting back to starting wasn't the most appealing to Van Belle at first.
'The starter role was kind of the boogeyman for him for a while,' Tracy said. 'We had a lot of conversations with him leading into starting more, [telling him] it's not the starter role that was causing [the hard hits], it was your arsenal. You're more equipped with your arsenal to to handle it. You're better prepared. You have four pitches you can land in the zone whenever you want. You can use that really good changeup. And he's pitched really, really well for the last four starts.'
With another seven-inning, one-run outing on Wednesday, Van Belle has now gone six or more innings in four straight starts (and seven full in his last three, the only International League pitcher to accomplish that), allowing just five runs - and maybe more impressively, just one walk - over his last 29 innings of work. Home runs can be an issue for Van Belle occasionally, but they haven't hurt him over the past month as he's gone 5-0 since May 14 (one win was a shorter relief appearance behind Cooper Criswell).
'He was in a role at the beginning of the season where he wasn't even going to make it out of spring training, and we pretty adamantly fought for him as far as, like, this is what he can do in the different roles he can pitch in, the innings he can pitch and chew up because efficient he is,' Tracy said. 'And it's showing right now...every time we see him, here goes Van Belle, he throws six or seven innings and saves our bullpen.'
WooSox 9, Red Wings 1
Balls were flying out of Polar Park early and often during an early afternoon game on Wednesday.
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Nick Sogard got a first-inning rally started with a single followed by a double from Jhostynxon Garcia, his third since joining the WooSox a couple of weeks ago. Nate Eaton drove them both in, and Vaughn Grissom continued the hit parade with a single and was driven in by Blaze Jordan, who doubled. Another double, this one from Ryan Noda, put two on for Nathan Hickey who delivered the big blow of the inning with a three-run home run, giving the WooSox a 7-0 lead with just one out in the first.
Jordan continued his good day in his second at-bat, sneaking one over the left field wall for his first Triple-A homer, coincidentally while his parents were being interviewed on NESN.
Grissom added to the lead with a solo home run of his own in the fifth, his fourth of the season.
Van Belle turned in another very good start, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out five and racking up 11 ground ball outs. Zach Penrod tossed his third straight scoreless outing since being activated from the injured list, going an inning and a third.
Notes
- With Blake Sabol having been designated for assignment last week and Yasmani Grandal being placed on the restricted list as he weighs retirement, the WooSox are suddenly pretty short-handed at catcher. Seby Zavala will get the bulk of the innings behind the plate, while Hickey will see more time at catcher, starting with catching Van Belle on Wednesday. Previously Hickey has only caught three games this season for Worcester, usually providing relief in the second game of a doubleheader.
What's Next
- The WooSox get back at it on Thursday night against the Red Wings with Isaac Coffey, who was promoted from Portland on Wednesday, getting the start.
Read the original article on MassLive.
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