Going into Friday night, Boston Red Sox starter Brayan Bello had completed at least six innings in seven straight starts. The streak was snapped against the Los Angeles Dodgers when Bello completed 5 1/3, allowing three runs in the process. He struck out five and walked two.
The difference between Bello this season and in previous seasons is his ability to limit damage. Last year, he routinely ran into trouble, and things spiraled out of control. On Friday, he worked through jams instead of giving up crooked numbers.
In the second inning, he gave up a double with one out. With two outs, Tommy Edman hit a single into no man’s land that got the first run of the game on the board. In the third inning, Bello ran into more trouble, as the Dodgers loaded the bases on two ground ball singles and a line drive. He couldn’t put Teoscar Hernandez away, walking in a run, but limited the damage to two after a sacrifice fly and a baserunning error by the Dodgers.
Later in the game, Bello struck out Freddie Freeman and Hernandez with two men on. It wasn’t his best outing, but he gave the team a chance to win.
His changeup was the best it’s been this season, a major development for him. He generated five whiffs on 15 changeups. He commanded the pitch well, keeping it down and on the arm-side.
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“I felt very good with the changeup today,” Bello said after the game. “I was able to command and also felt like it was working well. I felt confident in the pitch to throw it at any time.”
Since the beginning of June, Bello has thrown strikes at a career-best rate. What he’s been missing is the ability to put hitters away. If he can continue to command the changeup, he should see more strikeouts.
It’s not just the changeup, though. The incorporation of a cutter into his arsenal has helped increase his strike rate. 14 of 18 cutters he threw Friday went for strikes; none went for hits. He’s commanded sinker well, too, and that continued on Friday.
It wasn’t his best outing, but when disappointing outings look like Bello’s performance on Friday, you’re probably pitching well.
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