Red Sox Notes: Frustrating Outing From Brayan Bello Leads To Loss

Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello got off to a solid start against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, allowing just three hits and one walk in the first four innings.

Unfortunately for Boston, Bello faltered in the fifth inning, and the Red Sox lost 6-1.

Bello walked two batters and gave up six hits, including a grand slam to Gavin Sheets, on 36 pitches.

“This is probably one of my most frustrating starts,” Bello said through a Red Sox translator, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “A lot of difficult things have happened, but it’s the big leagues, and we got to move on.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora was ejected for arguing a third strike call on Jamie Westbrook in the middle of the fifth inning, so he was not in the dugout when Bello imploded on the mound.

“… I think today’s stuff wise over the last four (starts) … we talked about it, but Baltimore, Tampa, Detroit, this one … the stuff wasn’t as great,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “The (velocity) was a little bit down, and the command was off.”

In his last five starts for the Red Sox, Bello has gone 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 26 2/3 innings. Cora said they will continue to work with the 25-year-old to strengthen his pitches.

“This kid has electric stuff,” Cora said. “But he’s still learning in the big league level. The more he pitches, the better he’s going to be. We just got to help him.”

Cora continued: “My expectation from him is to go out there every five days and give us a chance to win. He did that in the last three. Tonight, he didn’t do it. Be ready for the next one.”

Here are more notes from Saturday’s Red Sox-White Sox game:

— Rafael Devers left the game at the end of the seventh inning with soreness in his knee.

“Knee is bothering him so we took him out. Probably give him tomorrow off,” Cora said. “Nothing serious, but obviously, when he expressed that (his knee was sore) we have to be smart about it. Hopefully, nothing worse than a little bit of soreness and he’ll be ready.”

— Bobby Dalbec hit his first home run of the season in the top of the fifth inning to give the Red Sox the 1-0 lead.

This is NOT a drill

🚨 BOBBY BOMB 🚨 pic.twitter.com/F3clWnNeYw

— NESN (@NESN) June 8, 2024

— The Red Sox dropped to 4-25 when scoring less than four runs in a game, 23-15 when hitting at least one home run and 23-11 when scoring first.

— The Red Sox will look to split the series when they close out their four-game set with the White Sox on Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Guaranteed Rate Field is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game on NESN, following an hour of pregame coverage.