Boston Red Sox starter Brayan Bello hasn't been the best version of himself so far through 2024, posting a 4.83 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP in his first 13 starts. And, in his last outing, a 7-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, he had a lot of traffic on the bases, but he was able to lock down and allow just two runs on seven hits and two walks over the course of six innings.
Just watching from the dugout, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was impressed with what the 25-year-old was doing on the mound at the Rogers Centre.
“When you’ve got 97-98 (mph) with movement, a good changeup and a good slider, we want our guys to keep pounding the strike zone and he did,” Cora said (via. MassLive). “Today, at one point I looked up (at the scoreboard) and was like, ‘This is impressive.’ They worked hard this week just controlling the counts and pounding the strike zone and he executed the plan.”
Bello has been expressive both on the mound and off of it this year when he's dealt with adversity, including spiking a ball while walking back to the dugout. If he can use that anger and hit the high 90s while locating consistently, he can be a great pitcher in this league, but the location has been the issue this season.
With Cora behind him, Bello will likely get his next start against Toronto again, this time at Fenway Park. Another start like this last one could be exactly what he needs to propel him into a great stretch as we near the MLB trade deadline.
