The Boston Red Sox failed to win their first series at Fenway Park since early April on Thursday afternoon, thanks to an 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in a game that was over before it even started. 

After being used behind an opener in four of his last six appearances, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy made the decision to give the struggling Brayan Bello his first start since May 17. “For us to be successful, we need Bello to start,” he explained ahead of the loss. "At the end of the day, we need this guy to pitch...he's gotta go out there and pitch," he continued.

Bello has struggled mightily as a starter: entering the series finale against Baltimore, the 27-year-old right-hander had posted a 9.68 ERA.

Despite his struggles starting games, he has performed well in his four appearances as a bulk reliever, allowing just two earned runs in 25.1 innings and posting an ERA of 0.71, the fifth-lowest among all qualified relievers in baseball. 

There has been just one problem with using Bello in a bulk relief role: the openers have struggled in his stead, allowing nine earned runs in just four innings, putting the Red Sox in the same hole they often found themselves in with Bello getting the start. 

Unfortunately for Tracy, the decision to start Bello immediately backfired as Baltimore leadoff man Taylor Ward ripped the first pitch of the game off the centerfield wall for a double, setting in motion a carousel of Baltimore batters to the plate. By the time it was all said and done, Baltimore sent 12 men to the plate, scoring six runs before Boston hitters had even seen a pitch from Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers. After the six-run first, Bello's ERA as a starter ballooned to 10.35 overall and 16.88 in the first inning. 

What was particularly concerning about Bello's first inning was his body language, as he was caught by NESN cameras shooing catcher Carlos Narvaez away as Narvaez headed toward him for a mound visit.  

Bello's immaturity continued into the postgame, where he took a defensive approach to reporters who peppered him with questions for nearly 10 minutes. "Just stop talking about the bullpen and starting games. I've always been a starter," he said through a translator when asked about being used behind an opener. "When I've been successful as a starter, no one has questioned whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games. So, starting from there, just stop that talk," he continued. 

The defiance continued as he told reporters that he is not interested in working through his struggles in Triple-A Worcester: "I’m thinking about making my adjustments in the big leagues,” he said. “I have a big league contract, that doesn’t mean the bosses will take a position or not, taking that into consideration, but I’m a big leaguer...and I’ll make my adjustments here.”

Well, clearly the bosses disagreed with Bello's assertion that he is a big leaguer, as according to WBZ's Dan Roche, the team decided to send him to Worcester following Thursday's loss. 

The decision to send Bello to Triple-A is clearly the correct one for a Red Sox team that, in spite of their poor record, finds themselves just four games back of the wild card spot. It would be an incredibly hard sell to the players in the clubhouse, and to fans, that you're serious about making your first consecutive playoff appearances since the 2017 and 2018 seasons if Bello remained in the rotation. 

Not only is Bello's performance on the field well below expectations, but the way he carried himself both on the field and in his postgame press conference shows that the 27-year-old has some maturing to do in Triple-A.

Boston has yet to name a replacement for Bello's spot in the rotation, which will next come up on Tuesday in Tampa, but rookie left-hander Jake Bennett figures to be the best candidate. Since his demotion on May 8, Bennett has dominated in four starts with Worcester, posting a 2.45 ERA across 18.1 innings pitched, striking out 12.3 batters per nine innings. 

For now, though, Bello will be replaced on the major league roster by left-handed reliever Joe La Sorsa, who was acquired in a Thursday night deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. 

The 28-year-old La Sorsa has spent the entirety of the 2026 season with Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings of work. 

The Red Sox will head to the Bronx for a three-game set with the New York Yankees that gets underway on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.06 ERA) will get the start for the Red Sox opposite Ryan Weathers (2-3, 3.52 ERA) for the Yankees. First pitch set for 7:05 p.m. ET. 

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