BOSTON -- Has the switch to a bulk-innings role the last two times out changed the course of Brayan Bello’s season, or has the righty simply gotten his groove back?
It might take a bit to know that answer for sure, but one thing was very clear on Tuesday night at Fenway Park: Bello gave the Red Sox a chance to win on a night their offense was dominated by Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.
Boston was a Marcelo Mayer hit away from tying the game in the bottom of the seventh, but wound up taking a 2-1 loss to Wheeler and the Phillies.
Bello came on in the second to replace Jovani Morán, trailing, 1-0. He was tremendous the rest of the night.
The righty fired 6 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and a run while walking one and striking out five.
In Bello’s first six starts of the season, he went 1-4 with a 9.12 ERA with 15 walks and 17 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.
In the switch to bulk reliever his last two times out, Bello has a 1.29 ERA over 13 1/3 innings, while walking two and striking out 12.
Wheeler set the tone early with amazing efficiency, throwing a mere 16 pitches through the first three innings.
Through six innings, he was at 59 pitches with a two-hit shutout in progress.
At last, the Sox got something going in the seventh against Wheeler, as Mickey Gasper and Trevor Story hit singles, and Ceddanne Rafaela blooped a base hit into right to make it a one-run game. But Boston (17-24) couldn’t draw any closer despite a great effort from Bello to keep them right in it.
Boston also threatened in the ninth, but left two on as Mayer grounded out again to end it.