The Red Sox have spent the past five games making their recent pitching problems look like a distant memory.
Brayan Bello became the latest starter to keep the opposition off the scoreboard Monday, working five shutout innings as Boston beat the Angels, 5-2, at Fenway Park for its fifth straight win.
The Red Sox have allowed just four runs from their starters during the streak, a 0.93 ERA, and have gone 34-17 since the All-Star break.
Monday marked the third time during the winning streak that a Boston starter did not allow a run. Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray each threw seven scoreless innings in Baltimore, and Bello joined them in his first start in more than two months.
His outing wasn’t nearly as efficient as those two, but the result was the same.
Bello battled traffic throughout the afternoon and needed 103 pitches to get through five innings. He walked two and struggled to get ahead in counts, but kept the Angels off the scoreboard.
“It was important (for them to turn it around),” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “Obviously, that last homestand, to be fair, we were going through a pen day, a spot start, so we kind of knew we were going to grind through that period. But coming out of that on the backside with no day off, because of when we went to Baltimore, we had (had) a lot of usage in our pen that we get a run of good starts.
“So that’s five really good starts in a row, really good starts. It was important that we got to that place.”
Bello had gone 1-6 with a 10.35 ERA as a starter, and the Angels offered a favorable matchup for his return to the rotation. The Halos entered Monday ranked 29th in the majors in runs scored.
“Obviously when they told me yesterday, I was super happy and my only thought was to have a good outing today and help my team win, and I’m glad it went my way today,” said Bello. “At the beginning, I felt kind of weird, but I was able to find myself again and I was able to get the rhythm back on quickly.'”
Brayan Bello’s return to the rotation was a success.
5 IP – 103 Pitches/62 Strikes
4 Hits
0 ER/R
7 K
2 BB
12 Whiffs
It marks his 1st scoreless start of 2026. Had a ton of success with the Sweeper. 5 Ks came on it. 7 of 12 Whiffs. Finally, he’s conquered the first inning. pic.twitter.com/F68KHkfvpH
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) September 7, 2026
Jarren Duran opened the scoring with his 20th home run of the season in the second inning, moving within one of his career high of 21 set in 2024.
Adley Rutschman followed with the biggest swing of the afternoon.
With two runners aboard, the former Orioles catcher drove a pitch from Grayson Rodriguez off the Pesky Pole for a three-run homer, extending Boston’s lead to 4-0.
The ball left Rutschman’s bat at more than 112 mph, the hardest-hit ball of his career.
Rutschman was Rodriguez’s teammate in Baltimore before the Orioles shipped the starter off to the Angels in the offseason.