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Alex Cora praised ‘outstanding’ Brayan Bello after dominant Red Sox win vs. Blue Jays
"His best outing in the big leagues against a team that has given him trouble."
Brayan Bello’s big night: The Red Sox stayed in the playoff race on Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over the Blue Jays. The game was highlighted by a masterful pitching performance from both Boston starter Brayan Bello and closer Kenley Jansen.
Bello, 25, was particularly dominant, tossing eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts (yielding just one hit). After an inconsistent season — Bello is 12-6 with a 4.66 ERA — the talented right-hander was on point against Toronto.
After the game, Boston manager Alex Cora was full of praise for Bello.
“That was amazing, that was fun to watch,” said Cora. “Under control. Pitch by pitch, he didn’t get ahead [of himself]. The sinker was good, the four-seamer was great, the changeup was good, the slider was outstanding.
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“His best outing in the big leagues against a team that has given him trouble,” Cora added. “He was able to keep them off-balance. Used the fastball enough to keep them honest. He was outstanding.”
Bello has sharpened in recent weeks, allowing just a .172 average against in his last four starts, posting a 2.49 ERA in that time.
“Definitely think that was one of my better starts in the big leagues,” Bello said via a team translator.
Given the current situation for the Red Sox — clinging to the outside chance of rallying to secure a wild card spot — Bello’s performance was best summarized by Jansen (who pitched a perfect frame in the ninth to secure the win).
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“That kid is good,” he told Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “That game gave everybody a lift.”
Trivia: It’s a short list of pitchers who have recorded seasons with at least 20 wins and (separately) at least 20 saves in a season. Three of the four players to do it played for the Red Sox at some point during their careers. Can you name those two pitchers?
Update to trivia: An earlier version of this question omitted one of the Red Sox on the list. The question has been updated for accuracy.
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: One arrived via a trade with the Mariners. Another had two stints with the Red Sox more than a decade apart. The third one won the Cy Young Award in the National League in 1996 (a year after he helped his team win the World Series).
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays on Wednesday 3-0. Brayan Bello pitched eight scoreless innings (striking out nine), with Kenley Jansen closing it out in the ninth inning for the win.
The two teams meet again today at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.
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Some Bello highlights: Red Sox starter Brayan Bello excelled on Wednesday night. Here are some of his best moments:
And here are a few more strikeouts to savor:
“Right down the middle”: Shohei Ohtani’s dog, Decoy, got to “throw” the first pitch on Wednesday. Ohtani proceeded to lead off the game with his 42nd home run of the season.
On this day: In 2000, the Red Sox and then-Devil Rays clashed after Tampa Bay’s Gerald Williams rushed the mound against Pedro Martinez. Having been plunked by a Martinez fastball, Williams hesitated before sprinting out to confront the Red Sox ace.
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Williams pushed Martinez backwards before he was tackled by the combined force of Boston catcher Jason Varitek and third baseman Lou Merloni. Eventually, the game would result in eight members of Tampa’s setup (five players, two coaches, and its manager) being ejected.
Martinez, meanwhile, remained unruffled. He proceeded to dismantle the Devil Ray lineup multiple times, striking out 13, walking none, and yielding a hit only to John Flaherty in the ninth inning.
The Red Sox, thanks also to Carl Everett hitting two home runs (adding a double and triple) while totaling six RBIs, walked away with a memorable 8-0 win.
Daily highlight: As if the season wasn’t already difficult enough for White Sox fans, they had to endure an incredible catch by Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski on Wednesday night that prevented what would’ve been a walk-off home run. Texas won in the end, 4-3.
Trivia answer: Dennis Eckersley, Derek Lowe, John Smoltz
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