Red Sox’ Alex Cora, Brayan Bello discuss why starter was pulled after 28 pitches in Game 2 loss

NEW YORK — Brayan Bello entered Wednesday with a chance to cement himself in Red Sox postseason lore by potentially pitching the Red Sox to a series-clinching win over the Yankees in the Bronx. Thanks to aggressive managing by Alex Cora, Bello wasn’t afforded that chance.

Bello allowed a two-run homer to Ben Rice in the first inning, then two singles in the third inning before Cora — in an effort to ensure Boston’s deficit wouldn’t grow to more than two runs — pulled him after just 2 ⅓ innings and 28 pitches so that Justin Wilson could face lefties Cody Bellinger and Rice. The decision, which backfired later in the game when Garrett Whitlock faltered while throwing a season-high 47 pitches in a 4-3 loss, forced Cora to use seven different pitchers ahead of a do-or-die Game 3 on Thursday night.

Both Cora and Bello said a short start wasn’t planned before the outing. In the moment, the manager said, it just felt like the right thing for the team.

“Felt like at that point, kind of like, we have to do this,” Cora explained. “It doesn’t feel good, because you want the kid to go out there and get his experience and pitch deep into the game. I felt that moment we needed to.

“It was a tough lineup. A lot of lefties. The bats were getting better with the lefties, and we had a bunch of them in the bullpen.”

Bello conceded he was “a little bit” surprised by Cora’s decision and that the two men didn’t discuss it as Bello handed Cora the ball.

“Very important game,” Bello said through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benitez. “Two lefties coming up. He made that decision.

“I don’t feel disappointed about myself. I tried to do my job and he made the decision to take me out.”

Wilson did his job against the heart of New York’s order, getting two quick outs before pitching a 1-2-3 fourth with the game tied, 2-2, after a Trevor Story two-run single. In the fifth, the Yankees took the lead against Justin Slaten on an Aaron Judge single that deflected off Jarren Duran’s glove. Story’s solo homer in the top of the sixth tied the game as Steven Matz and Zack Kelly (who had a big strikeout of Anthony Volpe) got the Red Sox through the sixth. Whitlock tossed a scoreless seventh before fading in the eighth as his pitch count increased. Austin Wells’ RBI single plated Jazz Chisholm Jr. for the game-winning run.

The only relievers that went unused were closer Aroldis Chapman, who threw 24 pitches in Game 1, as well as long man Kyle Harrison and righty Greg Weissert.

“It’s October baseball,” Cora said. “It is different.”

Bello entered with a 1.44 career ERA in five starts at Yankee Stadium and had pitched seven shutout innings here in late August. He got two quick outs in the first before Bellinger singled and Rice sent a first-pitch cutter into the right-field seats. That was the first homer Bello had allowed in more than 31 innings pitching in the Bronx.

In the second, Bello walked Wells with one out but got Volpe to ground into a double play to end the inning. The third began with a 112 mph single off the bat of Ryan McMahon, a hard-hit grounder from Trent Grisham for the first out and an Aaron Judge single on a slider in the zone that was Bello’s last offering of the night.

Bello threw 12 sinkers, averaging 94.7 mph, and just four changeups in his abbreviated outing.

“I felt good with all my pitches,” he said. “I was just trying to stay aggressive. That was the gameplan.”

If the Red Sox lose Game 3 behind rookie Connelly Early on Wednesday, a breakout season for Bello — who logged a 3.35 ERA and emerged as a clear No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet in 166 ⅔ strong innings — will have ended on a sour note. If he gets another chance in October — perhaps as soon as Game 1 of a potential ALDS in Toronto on Sunday — there will be a chance for Bello to redeem himself.

Wednesday, though, left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

“In the moment, it frustrated him, I bet,” Cora said. “Talked to him. You’ve just got to be ready for the next one.”

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