Bello and Jansen combine for a 2-hit shutout and the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 3-0

BOSTON (AP) — Brayan Bello pitched the longest outing of his career, pitching eight innings of two-hit ball to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

Bello (12-6) struck out nine and walked one. Boston improved to 6-1 in his last seven starts, but it was just his second win in eight starts since the All-Star break. The 25-year-old righty has pitched into the eighth inning just once in his career and has never recorded more than 24 outs.

“I think it was one of my best starts in the big leagues, in all phases,” said Bello, who pitched most of the game with a 1-0 lead. “I like those games, especially because when the score is like that, you have to stay focused. You must focus on executing each proposal. I really enjoyed it.”

Bello had a 6.96 ERA in seven previous starts against Toronto.

“His best outing in the big leagues against a team that gave him trouble,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It was closed. He was excited, but not too excited. It was very level, stay in the moment. And it gave us a much-needed outlet where we were wise to the bulls.”

Tyler O’Neill homered, Masataka Yoshida had three hits and Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect nine for his 25th save. Bello smiled and laughed when asked if he could have gone and finished things off, but Cora said “there was no discussion” about sending his starter out for the ninth.

Boston beat Toronto in two straight after being beaten (most) a double header on monday. The Red Sox entered the day four games behind Minnesota for the AL wild-card finish.

“We’re in the middle of trying to get into the playoffs right now,” Bello said. “So I really wanted to win this game so we can keep going forward like we have been.”

Chris Bassitt (9-13) allowed one run on five hits and a walk, striking out nine before leaving with two outs in the seventh inning down 1-0. O’Neill hit a two-run homer off Brendon Little in the eighth to make it 3-0.

Jarren Duran singled to lead off the game, took second on a groundout and scored on Wilyer Abreu’s single to give Boston the lead. Bassitt gave up back-to-back singles to Yoshida and Connor Wong to start the bottom of the seventh — Yoshida’s sinking liner was contested, but replays showed it went short into center fielder Daulton Varsho’s glove.

Bassitt caught Romy Gonzalez when his bunt attempt popped up at the catcher, and then Ceddanne Rafaela struck out. With the top of the order still on, Little relieved Bassitt and got Duran to fly out to center.

So it was still 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth when David Hamilton reached on catcher Alejandro Kirk’s error and O’Neill hit the next pitch over the Green Monster.

“Every pitch tonight meant something, right up until the end,” Cora said. “It was a 1-0 game and Hammy goes in, a pitch and suddenly we can breathe.”

TRAINING ROOM

Hamilton injured a finger when he tried to hit himself. He left the game in the top of the ninth, but Cora had no other information.

NEXT

Toronto RHP Bowden Francis (7-3) will face Boston’s Kutter Crawford (8-11) in the series finale on Thursday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB