Even without his sharpest stuff, Brayan Bello fought his way to another victory on Monday.
Bello improved to 11-6 with Boston’s 6-4 win over the Cleveland Guardians. The 26-year-old allowed six hits, three walks and three runs, but he overcame a rocky start to complete five innings in 100 pitches.
Bello assessed his performance after the game, per NESN’s X account.
“It felt very good to give the team the opportunity to win and go through five, even more after the first two innings,” Bello said through a translator. “For me to be able to go five and to keep the team in the game was huge.”
Bello escaped a 24-pitch opening inning without any damage, but he surrendered three runs in a second frame that required 35 pitches. He settled down to allow three baserunners over the next three innings, stranding two of them when superstar José Ramírez flied out to end the fourth.
Story continues below advertisement
“My focus was to get quick outs so I could go deep into the game, go five or six,” Bello said. “Luckily, I was able to do that, and I was able to go five.”
Bello has given Boston depth all year long. Monday snapped a 10-start streak of him recording an out beyond the fifth inning, and Bello has gone at least five in 17 straight outings.
The right-hander has spent much of that stretch on cruise control, posting a 2.66 ERA from July through August. He issued just six walks in five August starts before pushing through Monday’s bumpier effort.
Story continues below advertisement
Boston’s rotation aligns for Bello to make his next start on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
