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Red Sox’ Chad Tracy explains pulling starter Brayan Bello at 63 pitches
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- Red Sox’ Chad Tracy explains pulling starter Brayan Bello at 63 pitches
TORONTO — Chad Tracy made his first questionable decision as Red Sox interim manager in an 8-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Tracy removed starting pitcher Brayan Bello with the Red Sox trailing 3-1 with two outs and a runner at first base in the fourth inning. The 26-year-old righty was at 63 pitches and had just walked No. 9 hitter Brandon Valenzuela.
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Greg Weissert replaced Bello and allowed a two-run home run to Ernie Clement that extended Toronto's lead to 5-1.
"Weiss threw a decent pitch to Clement and he put a pretty good swing on a decent pitch, and that obviously didn't work," Tracy said. "But with a full bullpen, everybody available, we decided if we needed to be aggressive, we would. So we went ahead and did that."
Tracy and pitching coach Andrew Bailey decided together to pull Bello.
"I think wanting to keep the game there at 3-1 with a fully fresh bullpen was the way to go there," Bailey said. "And knowing that we had a lot of well rested relievers. We have a lot of faith in Bello, but we've got to win that game and thought that that was the best position — Trace and I were talking about it — set the team up for success. We thought was the best move possible."
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Bello repeatedly shook his head side to side while Tracy walked to the mound to remove him. When he returned to the dugout, Bello was seen pacing, talking to himself and continuing to shake his head . He also pounded his fist down on the railing in front of the dugout after Weissert allowed the home run.
"Obviously, I was upset," Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. "I haven't been able to pitch well in the past few starts. I haven't been able to pitch deep into the games. That's what I want. And today it went that way as well. So obviously I was upset to come out of the game."
Bello's 3 ⅔ innings marked the fourth time in six starts this season he has pitched four or fewer innings. His ERA increased to 9.12 as he allowed four runs, six hits and two walks while striking out two.
"Just want to set up the team for success," Bailey said. "So Trace and I were talking about it in a moment and just thought Weissert was the right move there to kind of put a fire out. Didn't happen, didn't work. That's baseball. But we have a lot of confidence in Brayan."
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