Bello, Sox Crush Pirates (4/19/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Yesterday Sox GM Craig Breslow sent a sack full of money to the Milwaukee Brewers for Vladimir Gutierrez. Gutierrez was one of the Cincinnati Reds top prospects, winning 9 games for them in 2021. He was actually on the Miami Marlins before being claimed by Milwaukee on April 5th. Just two weeks later he was placed on waivers and the Sox picked him up. This is mostly just minor league depth as the second move that was made saw Boston pull the plug on the Joe Jacques experiment. Jacques was designated for assignment and 31 year old career minor leaguer Cam Booser was called up to replace him. If the plan is to release Jacques, now they have Gutierrez to replace him. Who's Booser you ask? He was originally a rookie free agent signed by the Minnesota Twins back in 2013 and couldn't stay healthy, pitching just 12 games for High A in 2016 and 2017. He spent 2021 and 2022 in the independent leagues before signing with Worcester last year. From being out of baseball from 2018-2021 to the majors, that's a hell of a comeback.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                                 IN

The bad news was beloved member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox David McCarty passed away last night but the Red Sox honored him by thrashing the Pittsburgh Pirates. Brayan Bello (3-1, 3.04 ERA) put together his best start of the season, holding the Pirates to just one hit in six shutout innings. Rob Refsnyder made his triumphant return to the lineup with two big hits including a home run. Wilyer Abreu busted out with three hits including a home run and the Sox as a team clubbed four of them. In the ninth inning, career minor leaguer Cam Booser got to make his ML debut as the Sox won the game 8-1 at PNC Park.

                                                                RIP Dave

Quinn Priester got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to short to start. Wilyer Abreu smashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top but Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short. Triston Casas belted his sixth home run of the season and Connor Wong grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                   Abreu and Casas demolish home runs

Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Oneil Cruz flied out to right to start. Bryan Reynolds walked and moved to second on the Ke'Bryan Hayes grounder to second. Ceddanne Rafaela booted a grounded by Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez to put runners at the corners but Andrew McCutchen took strike three to end the inning. 

The Sox ran themselves into outs in the top of the second as Masataka Yoshida lined one off of Priester to start. Bobby Dalbec got his first double of the season but Yoshida was thrown out at home trying to score from first. Priester threw a grounder by Enmanuel Valdez away for an error to put runners at the corners. Rafaela lined one past second base that scored Dalbec but Valdez somehow failed to run it out, getting forced at second. Rafaela stole second but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0. 

 

                                                        "Valdez you idiot!" - Rafaela

Jack Suwinski doubled to left to start the bottom of the second but Jared Triolo lined out to second. Michael A Taylor grounded out to short and Henry Davis grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Abreu grounded out to first to start the top of the third and Refsnyder grounded out to short. Casas walked and Wong got a seeing eye single into right but Yoshida took strike three to end the inning. Cruz struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third but Reynolds walked. Hayes popped up to second and Tellez struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Dalbec struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Valdez grounded out to first. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning. McCutchen grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Suwinski grounded out to second. Triolo lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox got some insurance in the top of the fifth although Duran grounded out to first to start. Abreu got a base hit to right and Refsnyder launched his first home run of the season to increase the lead. That was it for Priester and Josh Fleming came in to pitch. Casas flied out to center but Wong singled to right. Yoshida was hit with a pitch but Dalbec grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                       Refsnyder jacks one

Taylor took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and Davis went down hacking. Cruz was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.

The Sox barrage continued in the top of the sixth with Roansy Contreras on the mound. Valdez flied out to center but Rafaela pounded his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran popped up to short and Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                             Rafaela's first of the year

Bello returned for the bottom of the sixth and Reynolds struck out swinging to start. Hayes took strike three and Tellez grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Bello who tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 7.

                                                            Bello was great

The Sox poured it on in the top of the seventh as Refsnyder doubled to left to start. Casas took strike three and Wong struck out swinging but Yoshida walked. Dalbec walked to load the bases and Valdez doubled into the gap. Refsnyder and Yoshida scored but Dalbec was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                           You're out, you dummy!

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and McCutchen grounded out to short to start. Suwinski struck out swinging and Triolo lined out to left to end the inning. 

Hunter Stratton came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela flied out to right to start. Duran grounded out to second but Abreu doubled to center. Refsnyder lined out to second to end the inning. Taylor beat out a roller to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Davis got a base hit to left. Cruz struck out swinging and Reynolds flied out to left before Hayes lined out to right to end the inning.

Casas grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Wong struck out swinging. Yoshida grounded out to third to end the inning. Cam Booser made his ML debut in the bottom of the ninth facing pinch hitter Alika Williams. Alike tripled to left but McCutchen struck out swinging. Edward Olivares pinch hit for Suwinski and scored Williams with a grounder to third. Triolo grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brayan Bello. He tossed a 6 inning 1 hitter while allowing 2 walks and striking out seven guys.

                                                                Hero Bello

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 5.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Chase Anderson tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5.

Cam Booser made his ML debut by allowing a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and hit a home run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with an error but stole a base, hit a home run and drove in two

Final Thoughts:

That was a good team win on the road against a team that's not that bad. It was good to see some of the struggling guys like Abreu and Rafaela hit some bombs and Refsnyder regaining his "sixth man" role is going to pay dividends once some key guys get back from injury. The Sox are decimated by injuries but they're going to live and die with their pitching. Tonight they lived with Bello's performance. Sox brass want him to be the ace of the staff and he pitched like one. So far Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford have been great and tonight Bello took the next step. An encouraging sign is Connor Wong is hitting .349, better late than never. Not much to complain about in this one apart from Duran having a bad game, but he carried them for so long that he was due. In the era of the third wild card, the Sox need to tread water until some of their injuries heal. Rafael Devers, Vaughn Grissom and Tyler O'Neill will cut some of the fat off the roster and the sooner Garrett Whitlock comes back, the better. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Pirates tomorrow afternoon when Crawford (0-0, 0.42 ERA) looks for his first win of the season against Mitch Keller of Pittsburgh. The game begins at 4:00 PM at PNC Park.