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Red Sox starter strikes out seven for Dominican Republic in WBC debut
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- Red Sox starter strikes out seven for Dominican Republic in WBC debut
Brayan Bello ’s World Baseball Classic debut for the Dominican Republic was one to remember.
The Red Sox pitcher threw 54 pitches and allowed one run on one hit against Israel. Bello also struck out seven batters and didn’t issue a walk in five innings.
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Bello long expressed his desire to play in the WBC and got the chance to represent his home country this year.
A win for the Dominican on Monday would clinch quarterfinal berths for both the them and Venezuela.
Bello is expected to play a big role in Boston ’s rotation once again this season. With the Red Sox ’ additions of Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo in the offseason, it likely will bump Bello down.
It will likely take pressure off the 26-year-old as he continues to perfect his arsenal, which includes a curveball that he hasn’t thrown much since 2017. Bello worked on a slower version of the pitch in 2023 with then-teammate Rich Hill .
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Bello was seen working with newcomer Ranger Suárez — who features a deep arsenal of pitches including a curveball. NESN cameras captured Suárez showing Bello some grips.
“I’m someone who always wants to learn and always wants to improve,” Bello said of his conversation with Suárez . “I always talk to him. We play catch together. So I was telling him that I was trying a new grip on my changeup, and he was telling me that it was good. And also I was asking for some advice on how to release the ball.”
The curveball accounted for three of Bello’s seven strikeouts against Israel.
After a season in which Bello went 11-9 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.236 WHIP and 124 strikeouts, the right-hander is ready to take another step in 2026.
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“I feel there’s a lot to build off from last year,” he said .
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