Boston @ Cleveland preview
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Last Meeting ( Apr 26, 2025 ) Boston 7, Cleveland 3
Brayan Bello's long-awaited season debut for the Boston Red Sox certainly was something positive to build upon.
Meanwhile, Logan Allen already has been a pleasant surprise for the Cleveland Guardians.
Aiming for more success, Bello and Allen square off in the rubber match of this three-game set at Cleveland on Sunday.
Bello (1-0, 1.80 ERA) was Boston's 2024 Opening Day starter and won 26 games the past two seasons. However, he was plagued by a right shoulder strain to begin the 2025 campaign.
The right-hander finally took a big-league mound Tuesday against Seattle. He allowed four hits including a first-inning solo homer, three walks and hit two batters in five innings, throwing 97 pitches in Boston's 8-3 home victory.
"It was huge for me to be able to keep the team competing," Bello said. "A very good moment for me to back."
Bello's only other appearance versus Cleveland came in April 2023, when he allowed a solo homer, four other hits, two walks and struck out six in five innings.
He'll look to help Boston win the series after splitting Saturday's doubleheader. The Red Sox squandered a 3-0 first-inning lead in the 5-4 loss in Game 1, then rolled to a 7-3 victory in the nightcap to break a three-game skid.
"After dropping that first game, it's always important to step back, especially on doubleheader day, just kind of stay calm," Boston outfielder Jarren Duran said.
After his 11-game hitting streak ended in Saturday's opener, Duran had three hits with two RBIs and pulled off a straight steal of home in Game 2. He's batting .364 in the last five games.
Meanwhile, teammate Rafael Devers snapped a 0-for-16 slump with a Game 1 homer and had two hits in the second contest Saturday. Fellow Red Sox star Alex Bregman had three hits during the doubleheader and is 11-for-26 in his last seven games.
Duran had a hit off Allen in April 2023, when the left-hander allowed two runs, four hits and two walks while striking out eight in five innings of his only previous start versus Boston and took the loss.
Allen (1-1, 2.11) gave up four runs, five walks and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings of his 2025 debut, a 7-0 loss at San Diego on April 1. However, since then, he has yielded a total of two runs (one earned) and 11 hits, while walking five over 16 innings and the Guardians won his last three starts.
He surrendered that earned run over 5 2/3 innings at Pittsburgh on April 20.
"Logan is competing, that's what we challenged him on," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "He made some really good adjustments with his delivery. His stuff is playing real well off (the other pitches)."
Cleveland has dropped two of three after winning five in a row. The Guardians are 8-3 at home, where they have yet to lose a series this season.
Steven Kwan is 15-for-36 during a current nine-game hitting streak. Meanwhile, his Guardians teammate Angel Martinez is batting .362 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs in 13 games this season.
--Field Level Media