Brayan Bello Steps Up As Boston Red Sox Face Yankees In Bronx

The noise usually works against visiting pitchers at Yankee Stadium. Brayan Bello insists it does the opposite.

On the eve of his first postseason start, the 25-year-old Boston Red Sox right-hander was calm and almost casual about the challenge. He’s been here before. He knows the drill.

“As soon as you put your (foot) on the field, you feel the pressure from the fans,” Bello said before Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series in the Bronx. “Even when you are in the bullpen. For me, nothing changed preparation-wise, but I feel like that extra pressure … it gets me going.”

Why Bello Gets the Ball

The Red Sox opened the year expecting Lucas Giolito to be a frontline October starter. Instead, Giolito is sidelined with an elbow issue, leaving a hole in Boston's rotation and pushing Bello into the Game 2 spotlight.

It’s a pressure start. 

In a best-of-three Wild Card Series, the Game 2 pitcher is often the swing man. If the Red Sox win the opener, Bello gets the chance to clinch in the Bronx. If they lose, he has to save their season.

A History of Success in the Bronx

It’s the right spot for Bello, who has quietly owned Yankee Stadium.

 In five career starts here, he’s 3–1 with a 1.44 ERA, one of the sharpest visiting lines in recent memory. Last June, he blanked New York over seven innings, striking out eight. A month later, he returned and did it again.

Overall, Bello’s numbers against the Yankees are equally strong. He is 3–1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last five starts against them. For a young pitcher, that’s the kind of track record that builds belief.