WEEI’s Chris Arcand calls “starter” Bryan Bello “the absolute worst pitcher in the world this season.”
If the loser Red Sox want to “start” winning games they ought to figure out how to assign a starting pitcher.
They’re treating alleged “starter” Brayan Bello with kid gloves, allowing him to delay his “starts” until the second inning.
Time for a Bello to put on his big-boy cleats.
He is no more a starting pitcher than any of us.
Bello doesn’t start any games now…even on the days he’s scripted to start.
Why? Because he says he’s too nervous to start any game in the first inning.
The Sox coddle Bello, allowing him to start his pitching days in inning No. 2 because he claims he’s never ready and settled enough to start his job in inning No. 1.
Here’s the problem that babying Bello creates for the Sox: they can’t really waste another starting pitcher to start Bello’s day, so on the day that Bello is penciled-in to start, they start a reliever, which is another problem.
Normally, relievers are designated for just that – relief – to come into games usually after at least five innings, so they’re not wired to be starters.
Rookie pitcher Tyler Samaniego opened for Bello in his last “start” May 29 against Cleveland.
Samaniego gave up four runs in the first, after which Bello entered the game in bulk relief and pitched seven scoreless innings.
Characteristically a reliever, Samaniego didn’t feel comfortable in a starter’s role, as WEEI’s Sox Review host Christian Arcand noted after that game.
The Sox originally signed Bello nine years ago as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic.
He later agreed to a long-term contract extension, securing him in Boston’s rotation through at least 2029.
It’s true that when Bello has started games, his Earned Run Average is sky-high, up near 10.
Then, he usually settles down later, just as he did in his last “start.”
So, Bello used to actually start games when he was scheduled to “start.”
Now, he can sleep-in and “start” at his own whim.
Sox owner John Henry and club president Sam Kennedy have also been sleeping in this season, judging by the abysmal performance of their team.
Time for them to “start” paying attention or there’s going to be a lot of empty seats in Fenway next season.
After all, Sox fans are “starting” to get real tired of fake “starters.”
