Article: Brayan Bello's "Ace Moment" Has Finally Arrived

[Brandon Glick]

Garrett Crochet just did Brayan Bello the biggest favor imaginable.

By firing off nearly eight innings of one-run ball in Game 1 of the Wild Card Round, Crochet handed the ball directly to closer Aroldis Chapman, thereby saving the bullets of every other member of the bullpen. The cavalry is ready to arrive in relief of Bello, meaning the fourth-year starter can empty the tank without any worry of working his way terribly deep into the game.

With the New York Yankees' backs pinned against the proverbial wall, you can be sure that their stars will show up ready to play in Game 2. This is a team that made the World series just last year, after all. Paul Goldschmidt (2-for-4), Aaron Judge (2-for-4), Anthony Volpe (2-for-3) and Cody Bellinger (1-for-4) combined for seven hits in 15 at-bats against the Red Sox's best pitchers in Game 1, and it'd be wise to expect that someone else in the lineup will show up in Game 2.

However, this is a moment Bello is ready for. In his 11 career starts against the Yankees, Bello has gone 65.0 innings while recording a sterling 2.35 ERA and 53 strikeouts. Notably, he's never allowed a home run in Yankee Stadium in the 31 1/3 frames he's completed there. In his first two starts against the Bronx Bombers in 2025, he was infallible—he completed seven shutout innings both times while racking up 13 combined strikeouts against just six hits and four walks. The Yankees got to him on his Sept. 13 start, with Jazz Chisholm notching three hits and three RBIs off him as Bello got knocked out after five innings and four runs allowed.

That's actually a continuation of an odd trend that Bello is facing going into tonight. Against the Yankees' twin sluggers, Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Bello has been dominant; Judge is batting .095/.296/.143 in 27 plate appearances, while Stanton is at a meager .200/.333/.200 in 12 PAs. On the opposite end of things, Bellinger (1.417 OPS in 12 PAs), Volpe (.941 OPS in 17 PAs), and Chisholm (.945 OPS in 17 PAs) have all had Bello's number. To ensure this series doesn't go to a Game 3 and fall into the lap of rookie Connelly Early, Bello will have to extend his dominance to the entirety of the Yankees' lineup.

The good news is Bello has actually been better on the road in 2025. His ERA is about half a run less away from Fenway Park, and opponents have an OPS 33 points lower than they do when they face Bello in Boston. Yankee Stadium is no pitcher's haven, but he shouldn't suffer too much from the short porch in right field.

Notably, the 26-year-old is sort of a throwback pitcher, at least in the sense that he improves as his workload increases.

Opposing batters' OPS versus Brayan Bello:

1st time through order: .774
2nd time through order: .597
3rd time through order: .617

That's going to give Alex Cora some interesting decisions to make as the game progresses. The bullpen is fresh, meaning Bello shouldn't hold anything back in the early innings. But, his proclivity for settling in could extend his leash, especially if fears of the need for a Game 3 start to set in.

No matter what happens, this is the biggest start of Bello's career. It's the first time the Red Sox have made the playoffs since he debuted in 2022, and pitching against your biggest rival on the road under the bright lights of October has a quick way of sorting out who is made for the big moments and who isn't. If there's ever been a chance for Bello to earn his spot as the No. 2 behind Crochet, it's right now.

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[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

"Ace moment?" I believe you spelled 'Ass' wrong.