Boston Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello made his much-anticipated 2023 debut Monday afternoon, but it didn't go as expected.
Bello struggled to navigate a rough first inning, allowing four runs off four base hits, including a three-run home run from Los Angeles Angels outfielder Hunter Renfroe, plus a costly hit by pitch. That early setback proved costly in Boston's 5-4 loss, which helped the Angels avoid a four-game sweep.
The 23-year-old lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs off eight base hits with five strikeouts. And Bello, who remains confident in his ability to deliver better results when called upon by manager Alex Cora, wasn't pleased with his work.
"I just feel I was frustrated with myself and I'll be able to deliver and I'll be able to perform as I know I can out there," Bello told reporters through a translator, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "I just need to keep working and be better for the next outing."
Bello ran into some early trouble from the start.
After a nearly hour-long rain delay, the Angels weren't fooled by Bello's approach to trying to get outs through inside sinkers, tackling runs on the board quickly after sitting on those pitches constantly. Then a second rain delay rolled around in the third inning, forcing Bello to make an early departure.
"I need to adapt," Bello said. "If I come into the game with a plan and it doesn't work, we need to change and I wasn't able to do it today. But in the future, if the initial plan doesn't work, I just need to adjust."
It was Bello's first appearance with the Red Sox since Oct. 1, 2022, against the Toronto Blue Jays.
