The Boston Red Sox have won seven straight games, and there’s a secret weapon fueling their bullpen that nobody saw coming: Brayan Bello.
The streak started with two wins against Oakland before the trade deadline, followed by a sweep of the Dodgers and now two victories over the White Sox. Tonight they’re going for another sweep.
Boston’s bullpen has been stellar during this run, but what’s making the difference is how they’re keeping their high-leverage guys fresh. That’s where Bello comes in.
From Disaster to Dominance
Let’s put it this way – nobody expected Bello to be the solution to anything this season. Boston penciled him in as their fourth starter, hoping he’d replicate his 11-9, 3.35 ERA from last year.
Instead, he got destroyed.
Bello posted an ERA above 10 as a starter, getting hammered mostly in first innings while the Red Sox couldn’t dig out of the holes he created. After too many disasters, Boston demoted him to Triple-A because their pitching prospects were simply better options.
The Long Relief Revolution
But here’s what makes this interesting – since coming back as a long reliever, Bello’s been nearly untouchable.
In 42 innings of relief work, he’s posted a 0.64 ERA with 30 strikeouts. According to StatMuse, that’s the lowest ERA by any pitcher with 35+ relief innings this season.
The transformation is remarkable. Whether he’s coming in as a traditional long reliever or working behind an opener, Bello’s pitching like an ace.
The Strategic Advantage
What makes this so valuable for Boston is the flexibility it creates. When manager Alex Cora uses high-leverage guys like Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten, he knows they need rest days to maintain velocity and avoid injury.
That’s where Bello becomes their secret weapon.
He’s got starter stamina but reliever effectiveness. While Chapman can give you an inning and Whitlock might go two, Bello can eat three or four innings without breaking a sweat. Combine that starter’s endurance with his 0.64 ERA, and you’ve got a luxury most teams don’t have.
It’s the perfect setup for Boston’s playoff push. Their starter goes five or six innings, Bello bridges to the closer, and the high-leverage guys stay fresh for when you really need them.
All things considered, nobody saw this coming when Bello was getting shelled in April. But sometimes the best solutions come from the most unexpected places. If he keeps this up, the Red Sox will have a huge advantage down the stretch – and potentially into October.
