Why Red Sox’ Alex Cora told his starter to ‘take a look at the scoreboard’

BOSTON —Manager Alex Cora delivered an important message to starting pitcher Brayan Bello after he left the game Friday.

“I said, ‘Take a look at the scoreboard. On bad days, that should be you right there. You did a good job for us,’” Cora said he told the 26-year-old righty.

The Red Sox lost 9-0 to the Blue Jays here at Fenway Park after relievers Luis Guerrero and Brennan Bernardino combined to give up six runs following Bello’s exit.

Bello admittedly didn’t have his best stuff. But he still managed to give his team 6 innings — even after a 30-pitch first inning.

“A lot of traffic and it looked actually worse than it was,” Cora said. “But it was six innings, three runs.”

The righty allowed just the three runs despite giving up eight hits and three walks. He struck out only one batter.

“It doesn’t really matter how he looks,” Cora said. “He gave us six innings, three runs. That’s a quality start. He gave us a chance.”

Bello recorded an out on the first pitch of the game. He retired the first two batters on a combined seven pitches. But he then allowed a single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and walked Alejandro Kirk on nine pitches after getting 0-2 in the count. George Springer’s RBI single made it 1-0 Blue Jays in the first inning.

“Obviously I didn’t have my best stuff today,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “I was battling out there, fighting every single batter. And I know the first couple of innings were long but I was able to get quick outs the second half of the game.”

Bello has pitched at least 6 innings in all five of his starts in June. That comes after he pitched fewer than 5 innings in five of his six starts in May.

So Cora wanted to let Bello know he has the type of talent to make it through 6 innings even on his worst day.

“I feel like throughout the year that’s what I’ve learned — even if you don’t have your best stuff in your first couple innings, you need to keep fighting and keep trying to get outs,” Bello said. “And I think that was my goal today.”

Bello got just nine swings and misses and six came on his four-seam fastball. He threw 41 sinkers, 23 four-seam fastballs, 16 sliders/sweepers, 13 cutters and 11 changeups.

“At the beginning of the game, I didn’t have any feel for my sinker, slider or changeups,” Bello said. “As the game went on, I was able to command better my four-seam and sinker and try to get outs with those pitches.”