BOSTON — Before Tuesday, Brayan Bello’s Baseball Reference page showed that he had one complete game under his belt in the major leagues.
That stat didn’t tell the real story, though. That complete game, on September 25, 2022, was really a six-inning outing in a rain-shortened, late-season loss to the Yankees. Eighty-two starts into his career, legitimate CG eluded Bello.
That changed Tuesday when the righty dominated the Rockies and flirted with a shutout at Fenway Park. A two-run homer by Hunter Goodman ruined that possibility in the ninth but Bello still was able to get all 27 outs, scattering just the pair of runs on five hits while striking out a season-high 10 batters.
Technically, it was the second complete game of his career. But in a 10-2 win, it mattered way more than the first, rather incomplete one.
“I didn’t know the New York game was a complete game and counted as a complete game,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “I always wanted to have a complete game and to able to complete it tonight was huge.”
Bello demonstrated no-hit stuff from the jump on a steamy Fenway night, throwing 10 straight strikes to begin his outing and recording seven strikeouts in three perfect innings to begin. Dueling early with Rockies veteran Kyle Freeland, Bello allowed just two baserunners — on a Goodman single and walk to Brenton Doyle — in the first eight innings. He got 15 swings-and-misses, including five on a changeup for which he had better command than at any other point this season.
“My changeup was very good today,” he said. “I feel like I have the feeling back for my changeup. I’m able to command it and also throw it whenever I want. For me to have that extra weapon is very good.”
Bello, who has gone at least six innings in his last five starts (not counting his “relief appearance” in the continuation of last Wednesday’s suspended game against the Reds), had never pitched into the ninth inning as a big leaguer before Tuesday. Last August, he went eight strong innings against Toronto. His efficiency Tuesday made a ninth inning a reality.
Bello needed just 77 pitches to get through seven innings, then just nine more to shut down the Rockies after Boston took a 10-0 lead with a six-run seventh. After allowing three hits (two singles and a homer) to the first four batters he faced in the ninth, Bello got a visit from pitching coach Andrew Bailey as reliever Isaiah Campbell began to warm in the bullpen. It was a moment that made many in the Fenway crowd — and at least one person on the field — antsy in the moment.
“I saw Campbell get up and I was thinking in my head, ‘A.C., if you pull Bello right now I’m gonna have a word with you after the game,’” joked left fielder Jarren Duran. “I would have to try and stop Bello because the way he was going, I feel like he would have fought to stay out there. Truthfully, I feel like if A.C. came out, Bello would have put up a good enough fight. A.C. would have been like, ‘Get it done then. Don’t waste this mound visit.’”
That point became moot when Bello got Michael Toglia to line out then struck out Ryan McMahon to end the game with his 107th pitch of the night.
“He was efficient, so I wasn’t going to take him out,” Cora said. “We put some good innings to expand the lead but he was under control today the whole time.”
Duran said he was “screaming from left field like (he) was in high school or something” as Bello completed the first Red Sox complete game since Tanner Houck shut out the Guardians with a three-hitter last April. Bello pumped his fists in celebration.
“Super happy to be able to enter into the ninth and be able to complete it. It was a dream come true,” he said.
Bello’s gem was not an outlier performance. Somewhat quietly, Bello has put together a long string of successful outings since the beginning of June. He owns a 2.78 ERA in seven games (45 ⅓ innings over that stretch) and has struck out 36 batters.
Bello, who has experienced plenty of ups and downs in four years as a big leaguer, said he feels like his recent stretch has represented the best he has felt in the big leagues. His manager concurred.
“We made a huge commitment with him, betting on the upside,” Cora said. “Little by little, physically, mentally as far as pitchability, he keeps growing and he keeps getting better.”
Bello will make one more first-half start as he pitches the final game before the All-Star break Sunday against Tampa Bay. If he performs anything like he did against Colorado, the Red Sox should feel good about their chances.
“He always wants more… It’s a big one for him,” said Cora. “It’s huge.”
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