Brayan Bello discussed recent struggles after loss vs. Blue Jays
"There's still a lot of season left for me."
Despite the recent Red Sox turn toward becoming a potential wild card contender, one of the team’s most talented pitchers has been experiencing a difficult stretch.
Brayan Bello, 25, is currently 7-5 with a 5.55 ERA through 14 starts. Viewed by the organization as a player with vast potential — given the six-year extension worth $55 million Bello and the Red Sox agreed to in March — the 2024 season has so far produced mixed results.
After recording a quality 3.04 ERA through his first five starts, Bello landed on the injury list for several weeks due to right lat tightness. Since his return on May 12, Bello is 4-5 with a 7.05 ERA. This was further accentuated by his performance in Tuesday’s 9-4 loss against the Blue Jays. In just 2.1 innings pitched, Bello gave up seven earned runs.
“My mindset is good. Mechanics are good. I don’t really know what’s going on right now,” he told reporters through interpreter Daveson Pérez “But I do know that I’m working with [Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey] on attacking the zone, doing what I’m supposed to do.
“And there’s still a lot of season left for me,” Bello added. “I know it hasn’t been great to this point, but I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do for the rest of the season.”
One aspect of his pitching Bello pointed to was control. In the disastrous third inning — when he surrendered all seven runs and was chased from the game — Bello walked two and fell behind in the count 3-1 against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before the latter hit a two-run double.
“I know that that’s when I’m most effective, is when I’m throwing pitches in the zone,” said Bello. “That helps me go to the fifth inning and beyond. When I don’t do that I get behind and start walking guys. The next outing we have to do a better job at that.”
“I just see the walks,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “At the end of the day your stuff can be good, but if you throw it over the plate, you’re going to be successful.”
Cora noted of Bello that Boston’s coaching staff will “make him better.”
Given the team’s overall uptick in the last few weeks, any improvement from Bello would only further help Red Sox chances of competing for a possible playoff spot in the second half of the season. Current issues aside, Cora remains confident in the young righthander.
“He’ll find it. He will.”
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