All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Guardians, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Bello makes strong return: Just days after being optioned back to Triple A when the Red Sox found themselves in a roster crunch and in need of bullpen help. Brayan Bello stepped into the spot of the injured Garrett Whitlock (elbow) and delivered five innings in which he allowed just one run. Bello was nicked for five hits, but also was dominant at times, striking out six while walking just two. He attacked the strike zone more and pitched from ahead for most of the outing, and for the final out, made a fine fielding play on a dribbler, then threw to first to get out of a first-and-second two-out jam. Not even a blister on his right pointer finger, which precluded him from throwing his slider in later innings, could slow him down.
Arroyo breaks out: It's been a nightmarish start to the season for Christian Arroyo, who has slumped at the plate since the beginning and who's been battling a tight hamstring for the better part of the last week and a half. Getting a rate start at shortstop, Arroyo had a three-hit afternoon along with a walk, scored two runs and knocked in two others, including the tying run in the bottom of the 10th inning. It was easily his best game of the season. "A day like this is awesome,'' said Arroyo. "Helping the team win is always great. Couldn't be happier. I think I forgot how to use the middle of the field. That's always been a strength of mine and I just forgot how to use it. Staying in the middle of the field (two of his base hits were to center), usually good things happen.''
Bullpen stumbles: Ultimately, the Sox came away with the win, but some members of the bullpen made that harder than it had to be. With the Sox leading by five in the seventh, Richard Bleier allowed one run and Ryan Brasier allowed three as the Guardians pulled to within a run. It marked the second time this week that the Sox had to go to their high-leverage guys in the late innings because a comfortable lead had slipped away. Then, in the ninth, Kenley Jansen couldn't preserve a one-run lead and blew his first save opportunity of the season. But Jansen has been outstanding, and was battling back spasms, so he gets something of a pass. That doesn't apply to the low-leverage guys. "We've got to throw strikes,'' lamented Alex Cora. "We can't go to the same guys every time. We didn't do a good job throwing strikes and they did what they do.'' Asked how concerned he was with his low-leverage options, Cora said: "I am concerned. I am concerned, yeah. We've got to be better.''
TURNING POINT
In the bottom of the 10th, the Guardians had already scored the go-ahead run to give themselves their first lead of the afternoon with back-to-back singles. With runners on first and third, it appeared as though the Guardians, holding all the momentum after rallying to force extra innings the inning before, might blow the game open. But with the top of the order due, Brennan Bernardino fanned Steven Kwan to keep the deficit to just one.
TWO UP
Connor Wong: Wong supplied sock from the No. 9 spot in the batting order with three hits in his first three trips to the plate and also threw out a would-be base stealer.
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo set the tone from his first at-bat when he doubled and soon scored the game's first run, then, in the 10th, provided the game-winner when he singled through a drawn-in infield.
TWO DOWN
Ryan Brasier: Yet another poor outing from the reliever, with three runs allowed in two-thirds of an inning, thanks in large part to two walks. How much longer does he get?
Jarren Duran: Extended his hitting streak to four games with a ninth-inning single, but prior to that was 0-for-4, popping up a lot of pitches.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We've got a lot of comeback wins, so we're playing the whole nine -- and then some -- especially today. It's a group that's going to fight.'' Connor Wong.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Connor Wong set a career high with three hits and is 5-for-12 in his last four games.
* Brennan Bernardino has yet to allow an earned run in three appearances with the Red Sox.
* Over his last 18 games, Rafael Devers has nine homers and 25 RBI.
* Alex Verdugo's game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th was his fifth walk-off hit since the start of the 2021 season. Only Aaron Judge (six) has more in that span.
* The 16 hits collected by the Red Sox represented a season high and were a single-game high and the most in a game since Sept. 26 of last season.
* The Sox are 2-0 in extra-inning games this season.
UP NEXT
The two teams wrap up their series with the rubber game Sunday at 1:35 p.m., with a pitching matchup of LHP Chris Sale (1-2, 8.22) vs. RHP Logan Allen (1-0, 1.50).
