Red Sox Get Burnt By Brayan Bello's Opener Once Again, Allow 4-Run 1st Inning

Red Sox Get Burnt By Brayan Bello's Opener Once Again, Allow 4-Run 1st Inning originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>It's been nearly one full month since the Boston Red Sox figured out that starting pitcher Brayan Bello benefits greatly from utilizing an "opener" out of the bullpen.

>In such games, Bello's ERA plummets to 0.98. This would be the best ERA in baseball. In the seven starts without an opener, Bello posts a measly 9.68 ERA.

>Despite his newfound success, the Red Sox have only won one of his stellar starts. That is because in each game that a relief pitcher has made the start, that pitcher allowed a run (or four) in the first inning.

>Jovani Moran was the opener in the first three games. He allowed one run once and two runs twice.

>On Friday night, interim manager Chad Tracy decided to switch it up. Tracy gave the ball to Tyler Samaniego in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians.

>Samaniego has a 1.04 ERA on the season and has made 18 appearances out of the bullpen this season. In those 18 appearances, he has allowed an earned run only one time.

>But even he was not immune to the Red Sox first-tinning curse. The 27-year-old reliever surrendered a whopping four runs on six hits while throwing just 22 pitches. It was by far the worst outing of his major league career.

>In a season in which little has gone right, even when the Red Sox find a solution to one problem, they seem to have been plagued with another.

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