Boston, MA
Devers’ longest career HR wasted as Bello implodes in shortest career start
On a night when Rafael Devers blasted the longest home run of his career and pulled within single digits of his 1,000th career hit, the story of the Red Sox should’ve been just that: their talented young slugger doing what he does best.
Instead, the story of Tuesday night’s game was this:
A struggling Brayan Bello made the shortest start of his career, three players made an error, and the Blue Jays snapped a seven-game losing streak by scoring seven runs in an inning and beating the Red Sox 9-4.
Early on, it had the makings of a beautiful summer night at Fenway Park. Almost exactly three hours after Alex Cora said, “It feels like he’s about to take off,” Devers did just that, homering to put the Red Sox on the board early for the second consecutive game. Torched 467 feet deep to right-center at 111.2 mph, it’s the farthest “Raffy Bomb” of the slugger’s entire career.
“That is havoc right there,” a mic’d-up Tanner Houck raved to the broadcast in real time.
The Red Sox scored another run when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. couldn’t nab Tyler O’Neill’s pop-up to shallow right – originally ruled a triple, later changed to an error on Guerrero – and Masataka Yoshida doubled to drive him in, increasing Boston’s lead to 2-0.
Almost immediately, however, the Red Sox were dealing with a far less enjoyable brand of havoc: After two 1-2-3 innings, Bello couldn’t make it out of the third. 10 Blue Jays batters came to the plate, and by the time a pitching change was announced, Boston’s 2-0 lead had become a 7-2 Toronto takeover.
The Red Sox starter opened the top of the third by giving up a double to Danny Jansen and a single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Kevin Kiermaier’s hit deflected off Enmanuel Valdez’s glove and into right field, getting the Blue Jays on the board. Abreu threw wildly to third, the ball soaring far and high above Devers. The rookie outfielder was charged with an error, the tying run scored, and after a brief meeting of the umpires, Kiermaier stood on third with no outs.
When Bello followed with a walk to leadoff man Bo Bichette, Andrew Bailey paid him a visit on the mound. Bello then proceeded to walk Spencer Horwitz to load the bases – still without an out – for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The slugger would’ve had a homer in 21 other ballparks, but at Fenway, he had a double, which clanked around the centerfield triangle long enough to score two. Justin Turner’s groundout plated another run, and George Springer’s home run to the Boston bullpen made it seven.
Finally, Cora called for Greg Weissert, who came in and got the remaining two outs. All told, Bello lasted 2.1 innings, the shortest start of his career. He allowed a season-high seven earned runs – the most the Red Sox have allowed in a single inning since April 13, 2023 – on five hits, walked three, and struck out two. He threw 52 pitches, 29 for strikes. His changeup was flat, and the Blue Jays hit it hard.
“I obviously didn’t want to come out of the game. I wanted to compete, I was kind of surprised when they took me out,” Bello said (via translator Daveson Perez). “But hopefully, moving forward I don’t have a terrible outing like the one I just had.”
Tuesday was the latest in a concerning line of high-traffic performances by the young right-hander, who hasn’t been the same since returning from the injured list on May 12. Bello went at least five innings and issued two walks or fewer in each of his first five starts of the season, and allowed no more than two earned runs in four of them. In nine starts since the IL, however, he’s failed to complete five innings four times, and allowed at least two earned runs in each game, and at least three in seven of them.
“Honestly no,” Cora answered when asked if he could pinpoint the reason for Bello’s control issues.
“My mindset is good, mechanics are good. I can’t – I don’t really know what’s going on right now,” Bello said. “But I do know that I’m working with (Andrew Bailey) about attacking the zone, doing what I’m supposed to do. And there’s still a lot of season left for me. I know it hasn’t been great to this point, but I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do.”
Lately, the Red Sox have been the comeback kids. In their first 65 games, they never won when trailing after seven innings, but entering Tuesday, they’d completed four such comebacks in their last 14 contests, including Monday night. Unfortunately, the largest deficit they’ve overcome this season is four runs; they were already down five when Josh Winckowski took over in the fourth and gave up another two (both earned).
Gausman’s start was eerily similar to his previous start, against the Red Sox in Toronto; after allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits, walking three, striking out four, and giving up two homers in 5.2 innings on June 19, he went six innings on Tuesday night. He gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits, including two home runs, issued one walk, and struck out five.
In the Blue Jays starter’s final inning, it seemed like the Red Sox might recreate Monday night’s comeback magic. Devers led off with a 426-foot double to the yellow 420-marker, the deepest part of center field. It might have clanged off the railing and into the stands above the Boston bullpen for his second homer of the night, but the fan seated at the end of the row reached out and made contact, and the ball deflected back onto the warning track.
Thus, Devers stood on second with a fan-interference two-bagger. Gausman wouldn’t be so lucky with O’Neill, who clobbered a first-pitch sinker to 448 feet to the left corner of the Green Monster seats for a two-run homer, his 16th of the year. It would be the last of Boston’s five hits.
Winckowski settled in after the fourth and held the Blue Jays scoreless for the remainder of the game, giving his teammates ample time to chip away. By the top of the ninth, it became a career night for him, too: his seventh strikeout – Guerrero swinging – set a new personal best.
“We gotta throw more strikes, that’s the most important thing,” Cora said of Bello. “Regardless of the results, we have to be more aggressive in the zone. He was 3-1 to Vladdy, right? So I think that summarizes his outing, we gotta throw more strikes.”
“Winck was the opposite,” Cora continued. “He pounded the strike zone the whole night, and he gave us, he saved us today.”
The bottom of the ninth was a mirror image of the night before. Again, Jarren Duran was the last batter of the contest. But this time, there would be no glorious walk-off; the leadoff man struck out swinging for the club’s fourth 1-2-3 inning, the end of his 14-game hitting streak, and the loss.
It wasn’t the only streak to die on Tuesday night. Tied after two games, this will be the first Red Sox-Blue Jays series not to end in a sweep after eight consecutive sweeps since 2022.
As we reckon with summer’s departure, there are a variety of fun-filled events to welcome the first signs of fall. Visit two “carnivals,” each with its own twist: huzzah and hurrah with medieval jest at the Brighton Bazaar’s Knight Carnival or tinker and test interactive exhibits at the Cambridge Science Carnival. Also, Somerville celebrates its prized, local invention, Marshmallow Fluff, with the 20th annual Fluff Festival, complete with sticky games and extra sugary challenges.
Here are six no-cost activities and events for the week of Sept. 15-21, as well as two ways to save on the arts this season.
BOOK LOVERS UNITE If a book club had a silent disco equivalent, it might be the Boston Figurative Art Center’s BYOBook event. Unlike a traditional book club, everyone brings whatever book they’re currently reading to a guided discussion with fellow readers from 7-7:30 p.m. After, attendees are welcomed to read as they please on the studio’s couches or lounge area. Snacks and beverages from the studio will be available. Sept. 17, 7-9 p.m. Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington St., Somerville. bostonfac.com
KNIGHT MARKET The Brighton Bazaar, in collaboration with roving merchant curators Medieval Merriment, will transform into the first-ever Knight Carnival for a night of Middle Ages-themed mischief. Immerse yourself in a live sword fight between armored knights from local melee club North Horde, a creature puppet show, fantasy-inspired musicians, a site-wide scavenger hunt, and a costume contest for attendees dressed in their Ren Faire best. If you have gold in your inventory to spend, vendors will be selling trinkets all night. Sept. 18, 5-10 p.m. Charles River Speedway, 525 Western Ave., Brighton. facebook.com/thebrightonbazaar
AUTUMN LEAVES The Boston Landing Fall Crawl celebrates the arrival of the season with a reptile show with snakes and lizards, pony rides, and pumpkin decorating. DJ Dukes will play a live set from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and country singer Louis Bello will pick up from 2-4 p.m. Meanwhile, from noon-2 p.m., attendees can join a line dancing lesson. Churros are on the house (while supplies last), and barbecue eats and other Southern staples will be available for purchase. Sept. 20, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Boston Landing, 92 Guest St. bostonlanding.co
MARSHMALLOW MADNESS Don’t expect to come out of this one clean: Somerville, the birthplace of Marshmallow Fluff, celebrates this sticky-sweet legacy with the 20th annual Fluff Festival. In addition to live music and entertainment, the event will host unique games for prizes, including Fluff jousting, where participants use pool noodles with Fluff to knock others off a balance beam, and a Fluff hair-styling contest, where Fluff and Teddy peanut butter are provided for contestants to style the best ’do. .Attendees who arrive by cycle can access two free bike valets — one in front of Gracie’s Ice Cream and another by the intersection of Somerville Avenue and School Street. The fest is free to attend, but marshmallow-y foods and drinks will be available for purchase. Sept. 20, 2-6 p.m. 366 Somerville Ave., Somerville. flufffestival.com
UP, UP, AND AWAY The City of Quincy celebrates its 400th birthday with a Hot Air Balloon and Laser Light Show at Merrymount Park. On Pageant Field, attendees can play lawn games or journey 60 feet in the air in tethered hot air balloons. Meanwhile, roving costumed performers and food trucks can be found on Adams Field. At 9 p.m., the laser show begins, projecting streams and beams onto the overhead balloons and trees. Sept. 20, 4-10 p.m. Merrymount Park, Quincy. Reserve free balloon ride vouchers on the event’s website. quincy400.com
SCIENTIFIC WONDERS More than 150 booths showcasing STEAM’s finest (and most fun) will occupy the 17th annual Cambridge Science Carnival. Visit a robot petting zoo — featuring robots of the underwater, basketball, and gummy bear varieties — check out hands-on booths to make stomp rockets, sugar glass, or bath bombs. Members of the MIT Physics Department will perform demonstrations at 1 and 3:15 p.m., and the hosts of the “Tumble Science” children’s podcast will perform interactive songs at 1:45 p.m. Sept. 21, noon-4 p.m. Kendall/MIT Open Space, 292 Main St., Cambridge. cambridgesciencecarnival.org
Deals and Steals
FINE FOR FIVE Starting Sept. 18, the Museum of Fine Arts kicks off its $5 Third Thursdays programming. On the third Thursday of each month, from 5-10 p.m., general admission is pay-as-you-wish with a $5 minimum. A crisp Lincoln grants access to the main galleries, as well as special after dark programming exclusive to each event — this month is Latinx Heritage Night featuring drop-in art sessions to make Puerto Rican beaded bracelets and Ex-Votos paintings, live sets by the Rafa Moreno Band and DJ Montro, and special spotlight talks and guided tours. mfa.org
SYMPHONY SEASON PASS Full-time Boston students with a valid college ID can take study breaks with an (award-winning) symphony when they purchase a $20 H+H Masterpass. The exclusive pass can be redeemed to access up to eight Handel and Haydn Society performances through the 2025-26 season. (Some exclusions apply.) handelandhaydn.org/concerts-tickets/masterpass
Check individual event websites for the most up-to-date information.
Send info on free events and special offers at least 10 days in advance to ryan.yau@globe.com.
Ryan Yau can be reached at ryan.yau@globe.com.
Walker Buehler’s Red Sox tenure came to an unceremonious end on August 29 when he was released to clear a roster spot for top prospect Payton Tolle to make his major league debut. His Phillies tenure, however, got off to a pretty good start Friday night.
Buehler, who signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia within a couple days of Boston cutting him, got the start at Citizens Bank Park against the Royals and delivered, holding Kansas City to one run on five hits while striking out three batters and walking just one in five innings. Philadelphia, won, 8-2, and Buehler got the win, marking his first such result since August 8, when he turned in one of his best performances in a Red Sox uniform and tossed six shutout innings in San Diego.
For Buehler, who owned a 5.45 ERA in 112 ⅓ innings for Boston, it was the third outing since July 1 in which he didn’t issue multiple walks. In 23 games (22 starts) for Boston, he issued free passes at a rate of 4.4 per nine innings. He also allowed 22 home runs.
The Phillies added Buehler to the mix in an effort to give their top starters — Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola — some extra chances to rest down the stretch. For now, he’s slotting into Philadelphia’s rotation as a sixth option, but he could serve a bullpen role come October if he’s pitching well and manager Rob Thomson wants to try to tap into the playoff magic Buehler has provided throughout his career. The 31-year-old, who recorded the final out of the World Series last fall at Yankee Stadium, has a career 3.04 postseason ERA in 19 appearances and has pitched three times in the World Series.
“He fits right into that mold of being a Philadelphia baseball player,” Buehler’s new teammate, Bryce Harper said, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. “Just a lot of fun to be around him. Obviously, he’s pitched in big moments, deep into the postseason. So getting a guy like that in our clubhouse is huge for us. And he went out there and did a great job tonight.”
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