Red Sox Get Burnt By Brayan Bello’s Opener Once Again, Allow 4-Run 1st Inning originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s been nearly one full month since the Boston Red Sox figured out that starting pitcher Brayan Bello benefits greatly from utilizing an “opener” out of the bullpen.
In such games, Bello’s ERA plummets to 0.98. This would be the best ERA in baseball. In the seven starts without an opener, Bello posts a measly 9.68 ERA.
Despite his newfound success, the Red Sox have only won one of his stellar starts. That is because in each game that a relief pitcher has made the start, that pitcher allowed a run (or four) in the first inning.
Jovani Moran was the opener in the first three games. He allowed one run once and two runs twice.
On Friday night, interim manager Chad Tracy decided to switch it up. Tracy gave the ball to Tyler Samaniego in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians.
Samaniego has a 1.04 ERA on the season and has made 18 appearances out of the bullpen this season. In those 18 appearances, he has allowed an earned run only one time.
But even he was not immune to the Red Sox first-tinning curse. The 27-year-old reliever surrendered a whopping four runs on six hits while throwing just 22 pitches. It was by far the worst outing of his major league career.
In a season in which little has gone right, even when the Red Sox find a solution to one problem, they seem to have been plagued with another.
More MLB: Red Sox Get Brutal Roman Anthony Injury Update As Outfielder Suffers Setback