[OmahaBaseball]

Bello Shuts Down Rays as Red Sox Roll to 5–1 Win

Boston, MA — The Boston Red Sox rode a dominant performance from right-hander Brayan Bello to a 5–1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. This was a critical win for the home team, as it further strengthened their Wild Card spot with just 2 games remaining in the regular season.

Bello (16-13) was in complete control all night, tossing a four-hit complete game on 105 pitches in which he recorded eight strikeouts and just one walk in what amounted to one of his finest starts of the season; Game Score 81. Boston’s offense supported him early. Tyler O’Neill opened the scoring with a solo homer in the third inning and later added a two-run double, finishing with three RBI. Ceddanne Rafaela also went deep, while Jarren Duran contributed a pair of hits and an RBI.

Tampa Bay struggled to solve Bello, managing their lone run on a seventh-inning RBI double from Ben Rortvedt. Rays starter Taj Bradley labored through seven innings, giving up 12 hits and all five Boston runs; Game Score 39. The win pushed Boston to 87–73 on the season, while the Rays dropped to 85–75, extending their losing streak to four games.

Player of the Game: Brayan Bello (Season: #7)

AL East Standings: 2nd Place, 7 Games Behind
AL Wildcard Standings: 2nd WC spot; 2 Game Lead