Masataka Yoshida of the Boston Red Sox hits a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, Wednesday, August 28, 2024, in Boston.
12:40 JST, August 29, 2024
BOSTON (AP) — Brayan Bello threw eight innings of two-hit ball Wednesday night to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bello (12-6) struck out nine and walked one. Boston improved to 6-1 in its last seven starts, but it was only its second win in eight starts since the All-Star break. The 25-year-old righty had thrown into the eighth inning just once in his career and had never thrown more than 24 outs.
“I definitely think it was one of my better starts in the big leagues, all the way through,” said Bello, who pitched most of the game with a 1-0 lead. “I love those games, especially because you have to stay focused when the score is like that. You have to focus on executing every pitch. I really enjoyed it.”
Bello had a 6.96 ERA in seven previous starts against Toronto.
“His best performance in the big leagues, against a team that gave him trouble,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He was determined. He was excited, but not too excited. He was very poised, stayed in the moment. And gave us a much-needed outing, which we’ve been good at doing in the bullpen.”
Tyler O’Neill hit a home run, Masataka Yoshida had three hits and Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 25th save. Bello smiled and laughed when asked if he could have gone and finished things off, but Cora said “there was no discussion” about sending his starter out for the ninth inning.
Boston has beaten Toronto in back-to-back games after being blown out in (most of) a doubleheader on Monday. The Red Sox entered the day four games behind Minnesota for the final AL wild-card spot.
“We’re in the middle of trying to make the playoffs,” Bello said. “So I really wanted to win this game so we can keep going the way we’ve been going.”
Chris Bassitt (9-13) allowed one run on five hits and a walk, struck out nine before leaving with two outs in the seventh inning, trailing only 1-0. O’Neill hit a two-run homer off reliever Brendon Little in the eighth to make it 3-0.
Jarren Duran singled to lead off the game, took second on a groundout and scored on Wilyer Abreu’s single to give Boston the lead. Bassitt surrendered back-to-back singles to Yoshida and Connor Wong to start the bottom of the seventh inning — Yoshida’s sinking liner was challenged, but replays showed it briefly caught the glove of diving center fielder Daulton Varsho.
Bassitt caught Romy Gonzalez when his bunt attempt popped up to the catcher, and then Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out. With the top of the order next, Little relieved Bassitt and let Duran fly out to center.
It was still 1-0 in the eighth inning when David Hamilton called an error by catcher Alejandro Kirk and O’Neill hit the next ball over the Green Monster.
“Every pitch tonight meant something, until the end,” Cora said. “It was a 1-0 game, and Hammy comes on, and one pitch and all of a sudden we can breathe.”
