Boston Red Sox pitcher Kenley Jansen, right, is congratulated by catcher Connor Wong after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 following a baseball game at Fenway Park, on Aug. 28 in Boston.Charles Krupa/The Associated Press
Brayan Bello delivered the longest outing of his career, pitching eight innings of two-hit ball on Wednesday night to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bello (12-6) struck out nine and walked one. Boston improved to 6-1 in his last seven starts, but it was just his second victory in eight starts since the All-Star break. The 25-year-old righty had only pitched into the eighth inning once in his career previously, and he had never recorded more than 24 outs.
“I definitely think that was one of my better starts in the big leagues, in all phases,” said Bello, who pitched most of the game with a 1-0 lead. “I love those games, mostly just because when the score is like that, you have to stay focused. You have to focus on executing every single pitch. I really enjoyed it.”
Bello had a 6.96 ERA in seven previous starts against Toronto.
“His best outing in the big leagues, against a team that has given him trouble,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He was locked in. He was excited, but not too excited. He was very level, stay in the moment. And gave us a much-needed outing, where we were bullpen-wise.”
Tyler O’Neill homered, Masataka Yoshida had a three hits, and Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his 25th save. Bello smiled and laughed when asked if could have gone and finished things, but Cora said “there was no discussion” of sending his starter out for the ninth.
Boston has beaten Toronto in two straight after being swept in (most of) a doubleheader on Monday. The Red Sox entered the day four games behind Minnesota for the final AL wild-card berth.
“We’re in the middle of trying to get into the playoffs right now,” Bello said. “So I really wanted to win this game, so that we can keep moving forward like we have been.”
Chris Bassitt (9-13) allowed one run on five hits and a walk, striking out nine before leaving with two outs in the seventh inning down just 1-0. O’Neill hit a two-run homer off reliever Brendon Little in the eighth to make it 3-0.
Jarren Duran singled to lead off the game, took second on a groundout and scored on Wilyer Abreu’s single to give Boston the lead. Bassitt gave up back-to-back singles to Yoshida and Connor Wong to start the bottom of the seventh – Yoshida’s sinking liner was challenged, but replays showed it short-hopped into the glove of diving centrefielder Daulton Varsho.
Bassitt got Romy Gonzalez when his bunt attempt popped up to the catcher, and then Ceddanne Rafaela struck out. With the top of the order up next, Little relieved Bassitt and got Duran to fly out to center.
So it was still 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth when David Hamilton reached on catcher Alejandro Kirk’s error, and O’Neill hit the next pitch over the Green Monster.
“Every pitch tonight meant something, until the end,” Cora said. “It was a 1-0 game, and Hammy gets on, and one pitch and all of the sudden we can breathe.”