The Boston Red Sox came into Tuesday night looking to bounce back. Instead, they dropped their fourth straight game, falling 9-2 to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.
The offense was quiet. The pitching struggled. And manager Alex Cora did not sugarcoat what he saw from his starting pitcher afterward.
It was not the start anyone in Boston was hoping for.
What Cora Said About Bello
Brayan Bello took the mound for Boston on Tuesday night making his first start of the 2026 season. What followed was a rough season debut that raised more questions than it answered.
Cora assessed it plainly postgame.
“I thought early on, the stuff was good,” Cora said. “Then, at the end, he didn’t have it.”
The numbers backed that up. Bello lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out two. Yordan Alvarez took him deep in the fifth, and the inning unraveled from there. Four of the next five Astros reached base before Bello was pulled from the game.
It was a difficult night by any measure. Bello had posted a career-best 3.35 ERA across 29 starts last season, but Tuesday was a reminder that the margin for error at this level is thin. He is scheduled to make his next start on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
A Night to Forget for the Red Sox
GettyBoston Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello.
The problems on Tuesday went beyond Bello. Boston’s offense managed just two runs against Astros ace Hunter Brown, who was dominant from the first pitch. Brown went six innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out eight. His ERA sits at 0.88 through two starts this season.
The Red Sox were held hitless through the first four innings and managed just a Connor Wong RBI double in the fifth to get on the board. By then, the damage was done.
Meanwhile, the night took an even stranger turn late in Bello’s outing. Bello struck out Astros outfielder Cam Smith on three consecutive swings in the fifth inning. The problem was nobody noticed. Not Bello, not Smith, not catcher Connor Wong, not the home plate umpire. Two Red Sox errors during the sequence appeared to distract everyone involved. Bello kept pitching, eventually walked Smith, and was pulled from the game.
Cora was asked about the sequence postgame.
“No, not really to be honest with you,” Cora said. “I don’t even know what to say about that.”
It was that kind of night.
What Comes Next for the Red Sox
Boston wraps up the series against Houston on Wednesday with Garrett Crochet taking the mound for his second start of the season. After a dominant Opening Day performance in Cincinnati, Crochet will be looking to steady the ship for a Red Sox team that has now lost four in a row.
The Houston Astros counter with Mike Burrows, also making his second start of the year. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 PM EST.
For Bello, Monday’s start against Milwaukee comes soon enough. Tuesday was one outing. The season is long. But with Johan Oviedo and Payton Tolle waiting in the wings, the margin for continued struggles is not wide.
Final Word for the Red Sox
Cora said the stuff was good early. Then it wasn’t.
Four straight losses. A rough outing from Bello. And an offense that managed two runs against one of the better pitchers in the American League.
Crochet gets the ball on Wednesday. Boston needs him to be what he was on Opening Day.
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