Poll: What’s going on with Brayan Bello?

You know we are fully into the summer months when the Drive Poll has been Red Sox themed on consecutive days...

Last night at Fenway it was the Sox looking to keep the good times rolling and take a 5th-straight series. The only issue? Brayan Bello didn't get the memo.

Bello was rocked for seven earned runs on five hits and three walks in 2.1 innings of work.

This month, he's 1-3 with an 8.25 ERA and since May 1st Bello is posting a 7.05 ERA, having allowed 34 earned runs in 44.2 innings while issuing 22 walks to 38 strikeouts and coughing up 55 knocks.

It hasn't been pretty for the guy who is supposed to be the ace of Boston's staff and was rewarded with a contract extension before the start of the season. He's only 25, but so far he's 21-24 as a Major Leaguer with a 4.66 ERA in 53 career starts. To this point, it's been more hype than result for the righty hurler.

That hype doesn't help either when he's routinely getting compared to a young Pedro, because the man himself has said Bello has more natural ability than he did at the same age.

Though, at 25, Pedro went 17-9 with a 1.90 ERA and 305 k's in 241.1ip while winning the NL Cy Young with the Expos. So, yeah, I'm quite alright if I never hear the Bello-to-Pedro comparisons again.

Boston's "ace" continues to be routinely outshined by Tanner Houck every time through the rotation, while Kutter Crawford is still a vastly more consistent starting pitcher. Even Nick Pivetta and Cooper Criswell (who has since been optioned to Worcester) have been more consistent this year than the one arm the team thought it could rely on.

Is there cause for concern in your mind when it comes to Bello's performance of the last two months? Or is it just a young pitcher going through a rough patch that you expect him to pitch his way out of?