Overview
- Boston, which hosted Philadelphia on Tuesday, lost 2-1 despite holding the Phillies to two runs.
- Jovani Moran handled the first inning as an opener, a short-stint reliever used to face the top of the order before a bulk pitcher takes over, and Brayan Bello followed with 6.1 innings of one-run ball on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
- Bello said his key was sharper focus and conviction on every pitch, and he emphasized attacking the strike zone.
- The role change followed a rough start to his season as a traditional starter, when he went 1-4 with a 9.12 ERA over 25.2 innings with 15 walks.
- Since working behind an opener, Bello has a 1.29 ERA over 13.1 innings with two walks and 12 strikeouts, yet Boston’s offense has scored two or fewer runs in three straight games, including only a Cedanne Rafaela RBI single Tuesday.