Brayan Bello, who starts for the Red Sox on Saturday against the Yankees in The Bronx, has fought resiliently in the second half of the season, posting a 6-2 record and striking out nine batters per nine innings since the start of July.
Part of why the 25-year-old’s pitching is trending upward in this time is his refining his changeup and slider usage.
These secondary pitches, behind his sinker, have drawn more whiffs — especially against left-handed batting.
Bello owns a 2.66 career ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees.
He’ll bring his heavy breaking ball deliveries that garner ground outs on 52 percent of batted balls into Saturday; the Yankees are tied for the seventh-highest ground ball rate this year.
The Yankees owe one to Gerrit Cole, who last week suffered a loss on his birthday despite giving up zero earned runs.
He is cruising into the postseason with a 1.58 ERA in the seven starts since the July 24 meltdown against the Mets.
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Neither bullpen has been trustworthy, but backing two starters who can pitch deep in a rivalry game takes precedence.
The play: Red Sox-Yankees Under 8.5 (FanDuel)
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Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.