Orioles @ Red Sox Game Thread/ 8th-10th September 2023

RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Brayan Bello’s slider growing into a dangerous, and needed, addition to his Red Sox repertoire
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated September 9, 2023, 5:38 p.m.

Brayan Bello’s first full season in the big leagues has represented a solid starting point. Through 24 starts, his 11-8 record and 3.61 ERA while averaging 5⅔ innings per outing leave little question that he belongs in a big-league rotation.

Yet there is still plenty of room for the 24-year-old to grow, with a need for further steps if he is to emerge as a pitcher who can reside in the top half of the Red Sox rotation for years to come.

“He can still get better. He wants to and he tries to,” said Sox pitching coach Dave Bush. “He has a great foundation. And like any young pitcher, there’s parts of the game he’s still learning and getting better at.”

Bello’s recent performances have offered the possibility of a breakthrough. All year, his sinker and changeup have been outstanding pitches, but he’s lacked a consistent breaking ball as a complement, his slider often representing a vulnerability.


But in his last four starts entering his scheduled outing against the Orioles on Sunday, Bello has changed its shape and grip. He’s throwing it harder (86-87 m.p.h., up from 84-85 most of the year) and creating more sweep with it, the slider evolving from a baby curveball that stayed in the zone with a “hit me” sign to become one that can steer away from barrels.

Through 20 starts, Bello averaged about 1-2 inches of lateral break on his slider and 44 inches of drop. In his last four: eight inches of glove-side break and 38 inches of drop. He’s struck out five batters on sliders in his last four outings — including three Rays on Monday — matching his total from his prior 16 starts.

“I’m looking for a slider like Wandy Peralta with the Brewers, that same kind of shape. Right now it has the depth I’m looking for, but I still need to improve it and try to make it more consistent,” Bello said through a translator. “In the past three or four outings, I’ve been able to throw the slider more consistently in the strike zone. I’ve been able to throw it for strikes and also to strike batters out. I think at the end of the year, it’s going to be much better than it already is.”


Bush said a slider that breaks horizontally and is thrown harder represents a better pairing with Bello’s sinker, as the two pitches tunnel well before breaking in opposite directions. That match could increase the number of swings-and-misses, as well as the amount of bad contact. A sweepier slider would also play better against lefties, allowing Bello to move beyond a somewhat narrow two-pitch mix against them.

“I already have confidence to attack hitters with my two best pitches. With a third one, it’s going to be another weapon that I can use to get through the lineup more times,” said Bello. “I think when I get to be more consistent with my third pitch, it’s gonna bring me way above where I am right now.”

Second thoughts on Ceddanne

For the seventh time in 10 games since he was called up from Triple A Worcester, Ceddanne Rafaela wasn’t in the Red Sox starting lineup Saturday, entering the 13-12 loss as a pinch runner in the seventh and reaching on an infield single in the ninth as the DH. That infrequent usage stands in contrast to how the Sox used Triston Casas last September, when he immediately became an everyday player. Why the difference?



“Last year, we were ‘out, out.’ This year, we’re still kind of in the hunt,” explained manager Alex Cora. “It doesn’t look great, but we’ve still got games against Toronto, we’ve still got games against Texas. We get in a hot streak here, those games might mean something.”
Related: Ceddanne Rafaela largely watching from the bench despite Red Sox being big fans of the prospect

So, the Sox aren’t ready to prioritize developing players over what they see as the best lineup on a given day. Against Orioles righty Jack Flaherty, that meant an all-lefthanded outfield of Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida, and Alex Verdugo.

Still, Cora vowed that Rafaela will play — including at second base, a position that Rafaela played for the first time this year on Wednesday and Friday. He made one appearance there in 2022 and eight in 2021, with most of his playing time focused on center and short.

“I think everybody’s comfortable with [Rafaela at second],” said Cora. “I don’t want him to get hit on the double play and then something bad happens. We gotta be smart. But at one point, he’ll start at second.”

Though Rafaela has just 17 plate appearances, Cora praised the 22-year-old for his offensive progress since a swing-at-everything spring training. Those 17 resulted in eight hits, seven strikeouts, no walks, and just two outs on balls in play.

“[His approach is] a lot better than what we saw in spring training,” said Cora. “He’s made some adjustments, not chasing that much, especially [on] the breaking balls off the plate. So, so far he has been good.”

Weiss up

The bullpen carousel continued, with righthander Zack Weiss getting called up and lefthander Brandon Walter getting optioned. Weiss, 31, was claimed off waivers from the Angels in late August and was hit hard in his debut, giving up back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth inning. The righthander represents an interesting study in perseverance. He pitched in one big-league game for the Reds in 2018, but didn’t record an out against four hitters — an ERA of infinity. He was released that year, and bounced between minor league systems and indy ball for much of the next four before getting called up by the Angels last September. “It’s been a lot of work. It’s been a lot of ugly years and some grindy situations. I tried to keep my head down, tried to understand who I was as a player, and continue to improve,” said Weiss before the game. “It’s a gratifying journey I’d say. To end up in the Red Sox home locker room is obviously a very cool feeling.” . . . Pablo Reyes went 0 for 4 as the DH for Worcester on Saturday, and will possibly serve there again Sunday, with Cora suggesting he’d be activated from his left elbow inflammation next week. Righthander Corey Kluber (shoulder) pitched a perfect first inning with a strikeout.

Red Sox make 4 roster moves, including placing starting pitcher on IL

Published: Sep. 10, 2023, 12:23 p.m.

By

Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com

BOSTON — The Red Sox made four roster moves to shuffle their pitching staff before Sunday’s game and placed one veteran starter on the injured list, effectively ending his season.

Boston placed lefty James Paxton on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation (retroactive to Sept. 7) while activating reliever Garrett Whitlock from the bereavement list. The club also optioned lefty reliever Joe Jacques to Triple-A Worcester and called up righty Nick Robertson before the finale of a three-game series against the Orioles.

Paxton last pitched Sept. 1 in Kansas City (he was rocked for six runs in 1 ⅓ innings in a blowout loss) and was skipped the next time through the rotation. He was supposed to start Tuesday’s game against the Yankees but instead, the Red Sox decided to shut him down with lingering knee pain.

“He’s been barking for a little bit,” said manager Alex Cora. “We tried to push him back to see if he can bounce back but I don’t think it makes sense to push him. First thing’s first, the player. He’s been through so much in his career that at this point where we’re at, it doesn’t make sense. We’ll just put him on the IL, get another arm here and keep moving forward.”


Paxton’s season ends after 19 starts. He went 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 96 innings. After missing the first six weeks of the season due to hamstring strain he suffered in spring training, Paxton made his Red Sox debut on May 12 and pitched very well in the first half of the season, posting a 2.73 ERA before July 15. He struggled to a 7.62 ERA in his last six starts.

Whitlock was placed on the bereavement list last weekend. Cora said he’s available to pitch Sunday against Baltimore.

Jacques has made 23 appearances (one start) with the Red Sox this season, recording a 5.06 ERA. He has a 2.83 ERA in 35 innings at Triple-A this season. Robertson was one of the two pitchers the Sox acquired from the Dodgers for Kiké Hernández in late July. He has allowed four runs in four innings with the Red Sox while posting a 4.40 ERA in 15 games for the WooSox.


Righty Brayan Bello will start Sunday against the Orioles with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET. Cora said righty Nick Pivetta will take Paxton’s rotation spot for the rest of the year.

Triston Casas hits 3-run homer, Red Sox beat Orioles 7-3 and avoid sweep
AP

BOSTON (AP) The Red Sox got some help from Baltimore's shoddy defense on a long sloppy day.

Triston Casas hit a three-run homer and Boston averted a three-game sweep with a rain-delayed 7-3 victory over AL-best Baltimore on Sunday that halted the Orioles’ seven-game winning streak.

“It helps to be strong, I guess,” said Casas, smiling, of his opposite-field homer over the Green Monster.

Reese McGuire added an RBI triple and Rafael Devers a run-scoring single for the Red Sox, who stopped their four-game losing streak. Boston is six games behind Seattle for the last AL wild card, also trailing Texas by 5 1/2 games.

Closing in on their first playoff berth since 2016 and looking for their first division title in nine years, the Orioles lead second-place Tampa Bay by three games in the AL East.

Adam Frazier had a two-run triple for Baltimore, which finished a 7-2 trip.

“We played in terrible conditions all day,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We just didn't play our best baseball all around ... Unbelievably tough conditions to pitch in with the wet mound. ”

After a 42-minute delay at the start, much of the game was played in light rain, and there was a 1:28 delay with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

With Boston leading 4-3 in the sixth, Casas sent a cut fastball from Cole Irvin into the first row of seats above the Monster for his 24th homer. Ceddanne Rafaela reached when he grounded into a forceout, and Rafael Devers’ grounder went through first baseman Ryan O’Hearn's legs for an error.

A day after getting 23 hits in a 13-12 loss, the Red Sox wiped out a 3-0 deficit with two runs in each of the third and fourth innings against Grayson Rodriguez (5-4).

Brayan Bello (12-8) worked five innings, giving up three runs and seven hits.

“It wasn't a good outing for me to be honest with you with all the rain that was coming down,” Bello said through a team translator.

Boston's runs in the third scored when third baseman Ramón Urías tried to backhand Trevor Story’s medium-speed grounder and the ball rolled under his glove and into the left-field corner for a two-base error.

McGuire tripled into the center-field triangle in the fourth and scored on Devers’ infield single off Urías’ glove on a hard liner.

“There were some different conditions,” Rodriguez said. “I felt like my first time in Fenway (Park) would have been a little drier. That's just something you have to deal with.”

Baltimore went ahead 3-0 in the second when Frazier tripled after Aaron Hicks’ RBI single.

ALTERNATE WIN AGAIN

The Red Sox improved to 12-3 in their city connect yellow-and-powder blue uniforms this season. They're 27-7 overall since they were introduced.

NICE GRAB

Rafaela made a long run before making a leaping catch at the base of the center-field wall on Anthony Santander’s drive in the third inning.

“When the ball is in the air, if its in the stadium most likely he'll get it,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I saw that in spring training and back home in winter ball.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: LHP James Paxton went on the 15-day IL with right knee inflammation, ending his season. He went 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 19 starts. … RHP Garrett Whitlock was reinstated from bereavement list and pitched two hitless innings. He said afterward that his brother Gavrie drowned in Georgia last weekend. “You never know how long you've really got with someone,” he said. “Just make sure to hug the ones you love and make sure to tell them.”

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer (12-5, 4.07 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game interleague series against St. Louis on Monday. RHP Dakota Hudson (6-1, 4.43) is set for the Cardinals.

Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.36) is slated to start the first of a four-game series against the Yankees at Fenway Monday. RHP Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.54) is in line for New York. Boston has gone 8-1 against the Yankees this season, as they face each other looking to avoid finishing last in the AL East.