The Red Sox were pummeled by the Atlanta Braves 10-1 at their North Port, Fla. complex Saturday evening, but Brayan Bello looked rejuvenated by his World Baseball Classic stint in his first start back.

Before reporting to Team Dominican Republic at the start of March, Bello struggled to keep runs off the board in spring training. He allowed four earned runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings in his Feb. 22 preseason debut against the Toronto Blue Jays, and he was tagged for five earned runs on four hits in 2 innings when the Red Sox went to Braves camp on Feb. 27.

Then, he threw five innings of one-run ball against Team Israel in a 10-1 Team DR win at Miami’s loanDepot Park on March 9.

Back at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. on Saturday, Bello shut out the Braves for five innings. He threw 67 pitches (48 for strikes) and yielded four hits, struck out seven and didn’t issue a walk.

Success against the Braves is a long time coming for Bello. He’s allowed between two and seven earned runs in each of his three career starts against them in the regular season. One of just two opponents to score more than four runs off him last year, the Braves charged him with a season-high seven earned runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings at Fenway Park on May 18.

Though Team DR will face Team USA in a semifinal game Sunday, Bello returned to Red Sox camp Friday to ensure he continued pitching on schedule in the two weeks leading up to Opening Day.

Boston got on the board first in the top of the third when speedy outfielder Braiden Ward chopped a ball to the right side of the infield and reached first safely while Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies’ fielder’s choice throw home wasn’t in time to prevent Vinnie Capra from scoring.

Yet it was an otherwise quiet start for Bryce Elder. The Braves righty held the Red Sox to one earned run, two walks and struck out six in his five innings, even though his 62.8% strike percentage was lower than Bello’s 71.6%. The only hit Elder allowed was Andruw Monasterio’s leadoff double in the second.

The Boston bats made little noise all night in North Port. They collected just three hits, struck out nine times and did nothing with the six walks they received; they were 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

The Braves offense took over as soon as Bello departed. Red Sox prospect Tyler Uberstine gave up a one-out double to 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, and Matt Olson followed with a two-run homer. Uberstine issued a two-out walk to Carl Yastrzemski’s grandson, Mike, but escaped further damage in the sixth by striking out 2023 Red Sox first baseman Dom Smith.

Atlanta doubled their runs total before Uberstine’s 2 ⅓ innings (4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) were over, then exploded in the eighth. Red Sox minor leaguer Michael Sansone inherited a baserunner from Uberstine, who recorded the first out and issued a walk to Luke Waddell. Six consecutive hits followed by a throwing error by minor league third baseman Max Ferguson ballooned Atlanta’s lead to 10-1 and knocked Sansone out of the game before he could record an out. Cooper Adams recorded the final two outs of a game long over.

Futures look bright

Red Sox prospects defeated Minnesota Twins prospects 5-3 in Saturday’s “Futures at Fenway South” game.

Batting in the leadoff spot, Boston’s top shortstop prospect, Franklin Arias, got the scoring started in the bottom of the third with a go-ahead two-run double off the wall.

Infield prospect Henry Godbout, the No. 2 hitter, brought Arias home moments later with a two-run homer. The Red Sox selected Godbout with the 75th pick in last summer’s draft.