Brayan Bello didn't get off to the best start against the New York Yankees in Wild Card Game 2. A first-inning Cody Bellinger single followed by a homer off the bat of Ben Rice gave the Yankees an early 2-0 lead.
Bello straightened out and got through the second inning in three batters. He wasn't given a chance to get through the third — two singles and a force out later, Alex Cora emerged form the dugout to pull Bello and summon reliever Justin Wilson.
Wilson got out of the inning unscathed, but at a cost. It became a bullpen game for the Boston Red Sox, and Cora played it like the last game in the series. He used nearly every available arm in the bullpen just for the Red Sox to fall short, 4-3.
Now, Boston will play a third game in the Bronx in hopes of advancing to the ALDS to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Lucas Giolito was supposed to be the Sox's third starter, but an unforeseen elbow injury will force 23-year-old Connelly Early into the game.
Alex Cora's aggression with the Red Sox's bullpen could cost them in Game 3 against the Yankees
"It's 1-1 now, so it comes down to this game... I'm super excited about it... just ready to get out there." 🔥
— NESN (@NESN) October 2, 2025
Connelly Early is amped to take the mound tomorrow pic.twitter.com/jn444VjKA3
Early made his major league debut on September 9 and he's only made four big league starts before his first playoff appearance. He's a lefty, and the Yankees' lefty lineup is weaker than their usual, but if his start goes awry, the Sox won't have anyone rested to fall back on. Wilson, Justin Slaten, Zack Kelly, Garrett Whitlock and Payton Tolle all pitched in Game 2, and Aroldis Chapman appeared in the final two innings of Game 1.
Early has been solid just a few weeks into his career. He's posted a 2.33 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and four walks over 19.1 innings. He's logged a staggering 13.50 strikeouts per nine innings and a .640 strike percentage, but October is a different beast, and the Yankees are better than any team he's faced so far.
Bello has historically had great success against the Yankees and clocked a 1.89 ERA against them in the regular season. Had the Red Sox won Game 2, they could've given Early more time to prepare for his definite ALDS start, but it didn't work out that way. It's also the only way Cora's aggression with the bullpen would've paid off.
If Early is pulled quickly on October 2, the Red Sox will be out of luck. The young lefty has showed that he has the stuff to limit damage in the regular season, and hopefully he can replicate his success in October in a raucous Yankee Stadium. If he can't, it will be up to the already exhausted bullpen.