It might be time for the New York Yankees to tip their hats and call Brayan Bello their daddy.
Bello made his second consecutive start against Boston's archrival on Sunday night and turned in another impressive performance. The 24-year-old allowed only one run on four hits while striking out eight Yankees hitters over seven innings pitched. He propelled the Red Sox to wins in both starts against New York, amassing a 1.93 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14 innings.
As The Boston Globe's Jon Couture points out, that's the most dominant a Red Sox pitcher has been in back-to-back starts against the Yankees since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez in 2001.
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Bello's success vs. the Yankees dates back to his rookie campaign in 2022. He allowed only one earned run and tallied 10 strikeouts in 11 innings over his first two starts against them. So in four career starts vs. the Bronx Bombers, he boasts a 1.44 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 25 innings.
“He keeps getting better,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after Sunday's win. “His usage is getting where we want to. He’s been able to develop his slider in the big leagues. His changeup has always been a weapon. Using his fastball in different areas. It’s not easy to do, face the same lineup in back-to-back outings and go seven.”
Not only is Bello becoming a Yankee killer, but he's also developing into the ace of Boston's pitching staff. In eight starts since April 30, the former top prospect has a 2.68 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 47 innings of work. The second-year right-hander couldn't have picked a better time for his breakout with Chris Sale and Tanner Houck hitting the injured list, plus Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta being demoted to the bullpen.
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Behind Bello's stellar outing, the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep over the Yankees and improved to 37-35 on the season. They'll look to carry that momentum into Minnesota, where they will begin a four-game set against the Twins on Monday night.