BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 7: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Fenway Park on September 7, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 7: Catcher Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox congratulates pitcher Brayan Bello #66 after the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on September 7, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox Getty
The Boston Red Sox have won five straight. Monday's 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels pushed Boston to 80-65 and continued a stretch of pitching dominance that has carried the team through the past week. Over their last five games, Red Sox starters have combined for a 1.16 ERA during the winning streak.
Monday's contribution came from an unexpected source. Brayan Bello made his first start since June 4. He had not won a game as a starter since April 12. His ERA in that role this season sat at 10.35 coming into the day.
None of that mattered once he took the mound.
Bello threw five scoreless innings against the Angels. He allowed four hits and a pair of walks across those five frames while punching out seven. It was his first scoreless start since August 22, 2025.
Chad Tracy did not overstate what happened. He was measured in his evaluation, but the message was clear.
"It wasn't perfect," Tracy said. "He did a great job in the bases-loaded spots, making pitches. He got into some three-ball counts that can swing anything, and he made pitches and kept getting in the zone."
The bases-loaded moment came in the third inning. Bello worked his way into trouble and then pitched his way out of it without allowing a run. That is a different pitcher than the one who posted a 16.20 first-inning ERA earlier this season.
Tracy pointed to the larger trajectory.
"You can see it building, the confidence," Tracy said.
GettyBOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 7: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Fenway Park on September 7, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Bello acknowledged that the early innings did not feel entirely comfortable. Being back in the rotation after three months away created a different kind of pressure.
"It was a very good outing," Bello said . "At the beginning, I felt kind of weird, but I was able to find myself again and I was able to get the rhythm back on quickly."
The deeper change is in how he thinks about pitching. Earlier in the season, Bello was chasing precision. Every pitch was about location. The results were disastrous, and the approach was pulling him away from what makes him effective.
He described the shift in simple terms.
"My mentality changed," Bello said. "Before, I was just trying to locate pitches. Right now, just trying to be aggressive in the zone and not thinking much about end results, just being aggressive and attacking batters."
The difference between locating and attacking sounds small. For Bello, it has been everything. The bullpen version of Bello has carried a 2.03 ERA this season. The starting version entered Monday at 10.35 . Monday's outing looked a lot more like the reliever.
GettyBOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 7: Catcher Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox congratulates pitcher Brayan Bello #66 after the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on September 7, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The Red Sox do not need Bello to be their ace. The rotation has Ranger Suárez , Sonny Gray , and Payton Tolle carrying the front end. What Boston needs is a dependable arm who can give them five or six competitive innings when his turn comes.
Monday suggested Bello can be that. Seven strikeouts. Zero runs. A mindset that has clearly shifted from the pitcher who was sent down to Worcester back in June.
With the postseason approaching, every arm matters. Bello just gave the Red Sox a reason to trust him again.
GettyBrayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox.
Three months away from the rotation. A 10.35 ERA as a starter. Every reason to doubt what Monday would look like.
Bello answered all of it. Five scoreless innings. A bases-loaded escape. A mentality that has clearly changed.
Tracy saw the confidence building. Bello felt the rhythm return. Sometimes the simplest adjustment makes the biggest difference. Stop thinking. Start attacking.
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