Latest news with #BrayanBello
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3 days ago
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Boston Red Sox lineup: Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu sit vs. lefty starter
CHICAGO — Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu are both out of the Red Sox lineup vs. a lefty starter Saturday. Roman Anthony will play right field and bat cleanup. Rob Refsnyder will play left field and lead off. Righty Brayan Bello will start for the Red Sox opposite Chicago southpaw Shota Imanaga (6-3, 2.65 ERA). The game is at 7:15 p.m. eastern on FOX. Lefty masher Romy Gonzalez will play second base. He's batting .406 (28-for-69) with a .462 on-base percentage, .739 slugging percentage, 1.201 OPS, four homers, seven doubles, two triples, 16 RBIs, eight walks and 17 strikeouts against lefties. Bello is 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA in his past eight outings (51 ⅔ innings). Bello's strike percentage has steadily improved from 58% in his first eight starts to 65% in his past eight outings, peaking at 69% in three July appearances. BOSTON RED SOX (53-46) @ CHICAGO CUBS (58-39) · WRIGLEY FIELD · CHICAGO, IL · GAME 100 FIRST PITCH: 7:15 p.m. ET TV CHANNEL: FOX RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM PITCHING PROBABLES: RHP Brayan Bello (6-3, 3.14 ERA) vs. Shota Imanaga (6-3. 2.65 ERA) RED SOX LINEUP: Rob Refsnyder LF Alex Bregman 3B Romy Gonzalez 2B Roman Anthony RF Trevor Story SS Ceddanne Rafaela CF Masataka Yoshida DH Abraham Toro 1B Connor Wong C More Red Sox coverage Some Things I Think I Think: Upcoming trade deadline has Craig Breslow on hot seat Why Red Sox' Alex Cora didn't consider pinch hitting for Connor Wong Red Sox reactions: Offense has scored just two runs in two games vs. Cubs Red Sox plug rookie starter into injured Hunter Dobbins' rotation spot Red Sox' Tanner Houck will stay on IL after being returned from rehab assignment Read the original article on MassLive.
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3 days ago
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Red Sox' Brayan Bello explains what would be ‘very disappointing' — and what matters to him
CHICAGO — Brayan Bello was considered the potential future ace of the Red Sox when he signed a $55 million extension and then started on Opening Day 2024. Fifteen months later, Garrett Crochet clearly holds the title. Bello, however, is quietly developing into a second top of the rotation starter for Boston. He's 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA in his past eight outings (51 ⅔ innings). Bello made it clear he's not concerned with titles when asked if he'd eventually like to be considered a second ace with Crochet. 'It doesn't matter for me if I'm the No. 1 or No. 2 pitcher,' Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. 'As long as I'm in their rotation in the World Series, I'm good. It would be very disappointing for me to go to the World Series and I'm not starting a game in the rotation.' Bello will make his first start of the second half against the Cubs here at Wrigley Field on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m., eastern. 'My main goal is to help the team win a World Series,' he said. The 26-year-old righty failed to complete five innings in any of his five starts from May 8-28. But he has pitched six or more innings in seven of his past eight games. That includes tossing his first career complete game July 8 against the Rockies. 'I think the biggest change for me and the key for my success has been throwing strikes,' Bello said. 'I've been able to throw, most of the starts, about 60-65% strikes.' Bello's strike percentage has steadily improved from 58% in his first eight starts to 65% in his past eight outings, peaking at 69% in three July appearances. 'So for me, that's one of the keys,' Bello said. 'And also I'm not pitching from the windup anymore. I'm pitching from the stretch so that gives me a better opportunity to throw more strikes.' It was Bello's own decision to ditch the windup. 'I felt like from the stretch I was able to command my pitches in a better way,' he said. 'But that doesn't mean I'm going to pitch from the stretch my whole career. That's something I'm going to have to work on in the offseason.' Bello has gotten surprisingly few swings and misses in several starts this season despite his nasty stuff, that includes both a sinker and four-seamer that average 95 mph. He recorded only three swings and misses May 8 against Texas and just four each in starts vs. Atlanta (May 18) and Milwaukee (May 28). However, he has generated a combined 26 in his past two starts. 'Of course (it was frustrating),' he said about the early lack of whiffs. 'I feel also I wasn't throwing strikes. That's why I didn't have the swings and misses. But now that I'm throwing more strikes, and now that I'm in the zone, I get those.' Bello's sinker and sweeper are his two most used pitches this season. He's used his sinker to post a 51.8% groundball rate, which is in the 87th percentile among major league pitchers. Opponents, meanwhile, are batting just .184 against his four-seam fastball, his third most used pitch. His changeup has always been considered his best secondary pitch. But it has taken a backseat to his sweeper this year. He's using his changeup only 14.9% of the time compared to 26.9% last year. Opponents are batting .246 against it, a significant increase from last year (.177). If he gets this pitch back to form, he certainly can become a top of the rotation caliber starter. 'I don't think it's as good as it was last year,' Bello said. 'But I feel like it's getting better and better (going out of the stretch) and I'm able to command it more and throw it in a lot of situations.' More Red Sox coverage Red Sox reactions: Offense has scored just two runs in two games vs. Cubs Red Sox plug rookie starter into injured Hunter Dobbins' rotation spot Red Sox' Tanner Houck will stay on IL after being returned from rehab assignment Red Sox' Alex Cora gives 'positive' injury updates on 3 relievers; 'Big step' Boston Red Sox lineup: Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu sit vs. lefty starter Read the original article on MassLive.
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3 days ago
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Red Sox reactions: Offense has scored just two runs in two games vs. Cubs
CHICAGO — Instant reactions from the Red Sox' 6-0 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday: 1) Boston dropped to 53-47. The Cubs improved to 59-39. 2) The Red Sox offense has scored just one run in two games since returning from the All-Star break. Cubs starter Shota Imanaga tossed 7 scoreless innings. Boston went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. 3) The Sox fell behind 2-0 in the first inning Saturday after immediately falling behind 3-0 in the first inning Friday. Michael Busch crushed Brayan Bello's first pitch, a 96.3 mph sinker, into the left-center field bleachers. Kyle Tucker went back-to-back with Busch, sending a 95.9 mph four-seam fastball from Bello into the right-center field bleachers. 4) Bello eventually settled in like Lucas Giolito did after his bad first inning the night before. The 26-year-old posted his eighth straight quality start, a career high. He pitched 6 innings, giving up three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four. 5) Connor Wong is batting .144 with one RBI and no extra-base hits this season. But manager Alex Cora did not pinch hit for the catcher with runners at the corners and two outs in the seventh. Wong, who represented the tying run with Boston trailing 3-0, swung at the first pitch and flied out to second baseman Nico Hoerner in shallow right field. 'You've got to trust your players,' Cora explained. 'He's playing today for a reason. I felt like it was a good matchup — lefty against him. And it just didn't work out." 6) Lefty reliever Chris Murphy didn't allow a run in his first 7 ⅔ innings this season after returning from Tommy John surgery. But he gave up three runs today on three solo homers. Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ took him deep. 7) Former Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Cubs. 8) The Red Sox and Cubs will play the final game of their three-game series Sunday at 2:20 p.m. eastern. Ace Garrett Crochet (10-4, 2.23 ERA) will start for Boston opposite Cubs righty Cade Horton (3-3, 4.45 ERA). More Red Sox coverage Giants exec preaches patience amid Rafael Devers slump Red Sox at 53-47 for 3rd straight year reminds Alex Cora of ex-A's slugger Red Sox make lineup change, give Masataka Yoshida first start in OF since 2023 Red Sox lineup: Ceddanne Rafaela at 2B, in new spot in order for first time in career Bryce Harper gave Red Sox star rookie Roman Anthony an 'Oh, wow!' moment Read the original article on MassLive.
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3 days ago
- Sport
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Red Sox' Brayan Bello goes the distance, has ‘dream come true' while erasing quirky technicality
BOSTON — Before Tuesday, Brayan Bello's Baseball Reference page showed that he had one complete game under his belt in the major leagues. That stat didn't tell the real story, though. That complete game, on September 25, 2022, was really a six-inning outing in a rain-shortened, late-season loss to the Yankees. Eighty-two starts into his career, legitimate CG eluded Bello. That changed Tuesday when the righty dominated the Rockies and flirted with a shutout at Fenway Park. A two-run homer by Hunter Goodman ruined that possibility in the ninth but Bello still was able to get all 27 outs, scattering just the pair of runs on five hits while striking out a season-high 10 batters. Technically, it was the second complete game of his career. But in a 10-2 win, it mattered way more than the first, rather incomplete one. 'I didn't know the New York game was a complete game and counted as a complete game,' Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. 'I always wanted to have a complete game and to able to complete it tonight was huge.' Bello demonstrated no-hit stuff from the jump on a steamy Fenway night, throwing 10 straight strikes to begin his outing and recording seven strikeouts in three perfect innings to begin. Dueling early with Rockies veteran Kyle Freeland, Bello allowed just two baserunners — on a Goodman single and walk to Brenton Doyle — in the first eight innings. He got 15 swings-and-misses, including five on a changeup for which he had better command than at any other point this season. 'My changeup was very good today,' he said. 'I feel like I have the feeling back for my changeup. I'm able to command it and also throw it whenever I want. For me to have that extra weapon is very good.' Bello, who has gone at least six innings in his last five starts (not counting his 'relief appearance' in the continuation of last Wednesday's suspended game against the Reds), had never pitched into the ninth inning as a big leaguer before Tuesday. Last August, he went eight strong innings against Toronto. His efficiency Tuesday made a ninth inning a reality. Bello needed just 77 pitches to get through seven innings, then just nine more to shut down the Rockies after Boston took a 10-0 lead with a six-run seventh. After allowing three hits (two singles and a homer) to the first four batters he faced in the ninth, Bello got a visit from pitching coach Andrew Bailey as reliever Isaiah Campbell began to warm in the bullpen. It was a moment that made many in the Fenway crowd — and at least one person on the field — antsy in the moment. 'I saw Campbell get up and I was thinking in my head, 'A.C., if you pull Bello right now I'm gonna have a word with you after the game,'' joked left fielder Jarren Duran. 'I would have to try and stop Bello because the way he was going, I feel like he would have fought to stay out there. Truthfully, I feel like if A.C. came out, Bello would have put up a good enough fight. A.C. would have been like, 'Get it done then. Don't waste this mound visit.'' That point became moot when Bello got Michael Toglia to line out then struck out Ryan McMahon to end the game with his 107th pitch of the night. 'He was efficient, so I wasn't going to take him out,' Cora said. 'We put some good innings to expand the lead but he was under control today the whole time.' Duran said he was "screaming from left field like (he) was in high school or something" as Bello completed the first Red Sox complete game since Tanner Houck shut out the Guardians with a three-hitter last April. Bello pumped his fists in celebration. 'Super happy to be able to enter into the ninth and be able to complete it. It was a dream come true,' he said. Bello's gem was not an outlier performance. Somewhat quietly, Bello has put together a long string of successful outings since the beginning of June. He owns a 2.78 ERA in seven games (45 ⅓ innings over that stretch) and has struck out 36 batters. Bello, who has experienced plenty of ups and downs in four years as a big leaguer, said he feels like his recent stretch has represented the best he has felt in the big leagues. His manager concurred. 'We made a huge commitment with him, betting on the upside,' Cora said. 'Little by little, physically, mentally as far as pitchability, he keeps growing and he keeps getting better.' Bello will make one more first-half start as he pitches the final game before the All-Star break Sunday against Tampa Bay. If he performs anything like he did against Colorado, the Red Sox should feel good about their chances. 'He always wants more... It's a big one for him,' said Cora. 'It's huge.' More Red Sox coverage Red Sox could have unexpected 'X-factor' at MLB trade deadline, experts say Red Sox midseason prospect awards: MVP, top hitter/pitcher, most improved Fenway Insider Live: Submit questions for MassLive's Sean McAdam Red Sox' Ceddanne Rafaela's home run streak ends, but slugging continues Red Sox roster: Leadoff man (for last 4 days) sent down to clear Masataka Yoshida's spot Read the original article on MassLive.
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4 days ago
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Cubs 6, Red Sox 0: Taken deep too often
It got late early Saturday night, as the Cubs jumped on Brayan Bello for three runs thru two innings and never gave up a run on the way to a 6-0 victory. About the only thing that went right was keeping Reese McGuire hitless. He can get his own jollies. Three Studs Bryan Bello Yes, he got knocked around early, but he was in command after that, looking incredibly strong late, ending with those same 3 runs thru 6. What are ya gonna do? Masa Yoshida He had two hits. Abraham Toro He also had two hits, and a nifty play at first. Three Duds Chris Murphy The game was basically over when he came in, but gettin' taken deep three times in an inning isn't what you want. Reese McGuire Sad. Not Seeing Ryan Brasier He pitched the ninth. Marge is proud. Play of the Game Pete Crow-Armstrong could win the MVP so it's probably this: Pete Crow-Armstrong's solo home run (26) Pete Crow-Armstrong's solo home run (26) — MLB Home Runs (@ 2025-07-20T01:39:39.497175Z More from One Big Question: Will Carson Smith be a second-half weapon? The Red Sox PECOTA projections, by the numbers Red Sox players' PECOTA comps Red Sox sign Mike Olt, add to third base depth One Big Question: Can Robby Scott grab the second left-handed reliever spot?
