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ATLANTA — Instant reactions as Brayan Bello implodes again and the Red Sox (19-27) lose, 8-1, to the Braves:
1)Bello’s return to a traditional starter role was disastrous as the righty struggled with command, was hit hard early and ended up being tagged for seven runs (and eight hits, including two homers) in five innings. As often happened earlier in the season, the game was over before it started with Bello on the mound. He walked three and struck out one.
The trouble started in the first when Marcelo Mayer and Andruw Monasterio couldn’t turn an inning-ending double play with Michael Harris II running and Austin Riley made them pay by demolishing a middle-middle cutter into the left-field seats. Atlanta made it 5-0 in the second after starting the inning with a double, infield hit and back-to-back walks. It could have been worse considering they began the inning with the bases loaded and no outs.
Mike Yastrzemski homered to lead off the third and Dominic Smith’s RBI single made it 7-0 in the fifth. Bello had just one clean inning (a 1-2-3 third) and the Braves had multiple baserunners in the other four. It was a huge step back in every way after two encouraging outings following an opener.
2) Bello now has a 9.68 ERA (33 earned runs in 30 ⅔ innings) in seven starts this year and a 1.35 ERA as a reliever, as he held Detroit and Philadelphia to a combined two runs on eight hits while posting a 12-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last two outings coming in after opener Jovaní Morán entered the game. With the bullpen taxed, interim manager Chad Tracy opted to have Bello start Sunday and his his first-inning struggles (nine earned runs in seven innings) reared their head again.
With Garrett Crochet trending toward a return, the Red Sox will soon have a decision to make in their rotation. Veterans Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez are obviously safe, and rookie lefties Payton Tolle and Connelly Early have pitched so well that they deserve to remain in the majors, if healthy. It might not be long before Bello becomes a full-time reliever (or is sent to Triple-A).
3) Alex Cora always used to say that the formula for a good season was simply to win series. The Red Sox have been horrible at that so far. They are now 4-9-1 in series this year and have lost four of them in a row. That feel-good sweep in Detroit feels like a long time ago as the club is 3-6 since.
At 19-27, the club is eight games under .500 for the fourth time this season. They have never been nine games under.
4) On the injury front, catcher Carlos Narváez came out of the game in the middle of the sixth due to pain in his “right middle finger,” according to the team. Connor Wong, who hadn’t played since Thursday due to a minor ankle injury, returned to take over.
After the game, Narváez explained that he didn’t believe the injury was anything serious after X-rays were negative.
5) A five-run deficit in the second inning feels insurmountable for the 2026 Red Sox on any day, but the bats did very little against Braves righty Grant Holmes. Boston had three singles, two doubles and a walk in five innings against Holmes but never really threatened to get back in the game.
In total, the Red Sox had nine hits and left nine on base, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. They were on the verge of being shut out for the fourth time this season before Nick Sogard ripped a two-out RBI single to plate Wong in the ninth inning.
In eight straight games, the offense has failed to score three runs or more. The Red Sox are in a 10-game stretch in which they haven’t scored more than four.
6) One bright spot was Jarren Duran, who led off the game with a single and added a double in the third. Entering the day, Duran had hit .098 (4-for-41) in his last 10 games.
7) The blowout allowed one veteran member of the roster to accomplish an interesting feat. Isiah Kiner-Falefa replaced Willson Contreras in the bottom of the sixth inning and in doing so, played first base for the first time in his 940-game major league career.
Kiner-Falefa has now played all nine positions on the diamond, including pitcher (seven times). The Red Sox worked him out extensively at first base in spring training as a potential backup option behind Contreras, but before Sunday had not had him play there.
8) Bello’s season in one stat: As the Red Sox Stats account pointed out on X/Twitter, he ranks 103rd out of 109 pitchers (who have thrown 40+ pitches) in strikeout rate. He has allowed 10 homers in seven starts and has as many walks (18) as he does strikeouts (18).
9) It was a bizarre weather day in Georgia. A steamy, dry Sunday was interrupted by an out-of-nowhere biblical rainstorm in the middle of the sixth inning as fans ran for cover. The umpires had no choice but to halt the game, at least momentarily, and the rain delay ended up lasting 33 minutes.
When play resumed, the sky suggested nothing had happened.
10)The Red Sox will fly to Kansas City on Sunday night ahead of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium against a struggling (19-27 entering Sunday) Royals team. Here’s the schedule (with probables):
Monday, 7:40 p.m. ET — RHP Sonny Gray (4-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (1-3, 3.76 ERA)
Tuesday, 7:40 p.m. ET — LHP Ranger Suarez (2-2, 2.44 ERA) vs. LHP Kris Bubic (4.11 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:40 p.m. ET — LHP Connelly Early (3-2, 3.21 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (4-2, 2.83 ERA)
The Red Sox will then have two off days in a five-day span (Thursday and next Monday) around a home series against Minnesota.
More Red Sox coverage
- With Brayan Bello, Red Sox might need to make a call soon | Chris Cotillo
- Red Sox catcher leaves game, says he’s day-to-day after ‘sideways’ finger injury
- Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy reveals simple legacy he wants to leave behind
- Who’s Chad Tracy, new Red Sox manager? Here’s 20 (mostly) non-baseball questions to get to know him
- Why Red Sox are starting Brayan Bello — and not using an opener — on Sunday vs. Braves
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