SportsPreview
The biggest question facing every WNBA team in training camp
WNBA training camps open with key questions for each team.
ESPN News1 min read
Sports
Red Sox 9, Cardinals 3: Coasting
TL;DR
The Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3, marking their second consecutive win of the season. Brayan Bello pitched effectively, allowing only two runs over 6 2/3 innings, while the offense capitalized with a strong performance, including a home run from Willson Contreras.
Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello (66) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Red Sox have only six wins this season. Weāre not dealing with a large sample size. Still, today felt like the āeasiestā win of the season. The offense jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a home run off the bat of Willson Contreras and never looked back. They were up 3-0 when Jordan Walker hit his seventh home run of the season to get a run for the Cardinals, but the Red Sox added four more in the fourth inning, and two more in the ninth. They didnāt need innings from Garrett Whitlock or Aroldis Chapman in a win for only the second time this season.
Brayan Bello also had his best game of the season, throwing 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs. It was a different game plan from the righty, who went with a sinker-heavy approach. He kept the ball down frequently, moved it from side to side, and got six outs on balls in play with the pitch. As a result of the high-sinker use, he hardly spun the ball at all. He threw nine sweepers and six curveballs. He didnāt have a feel for either pitch at the beginning of the game, but when he located them near the zone, the results were positive. Heās been through so many iterations of his breaking pitches that Iām not confident heāll ever consistently locate them, and strikeouts will be hard to find without spin, but on his day, he can be effective. It was a great building block for Bello, who will get the Tigers in his next start. They handed the ball to Danny Coulombe and Zack Kelly in relief of Bello, who held the Cardinals to one run, giving the Red Sox a 9-3 victory.
If the Red Sox win every series for the rest of the season, theyāll win the World Series. The record still doesnāt look great at 6-8, but stacking series wins will slowly get them back over 0.500. Theyāve won two in a row now and head to Minnesota to face the Twins, who donāt have their best starters lined up. Just keep winning series, mix in a sweep now and again, and youāll look up one day with the standings much easier to stomach.
Three Studs
Willson Contreras (4-5, 3 RBI)
Contrerasā two-run home run opened the scoring. He added a single in the fourth inning for another RBI. He also played fantastic defense at first base all afternoon, when he was busy thanks to a groundball-heavy day from the pitching staff.
Trevor Story (4-5, 2 RBI)
A ninth-inning double gave the Red Sox some breathing room. When Story gets hot, he gets red hot. Hopefully, it continues into Minnesota and beyond.
Brayan Bello
See above
Three Duds
Roman Anthony (0-5)
An 0 for day for Anthony, whoās now 1 for his last 16. Just growing pains, nothing to see here.
Technology
It was a rough day for NESN and NESN360 customers. Iāll leave it at that.
My MLB App
Itās telling me the Yankees have lost five straight. That canāt be right. Right?
Q&A
What was the final score of the Red Sox vs. Cardinals game on April 12, 2026?
The final score was Boston Red Sox 9, St. Louis Cardinals 3.
Who was the starting pitcher for the Red Sox in the April 12, 2026 game against the Cardinals?
Brayan Bello was the starting pitcher for the Red Sox.
How many home runs did Willson Contreras hit in the game against the Cardinals?
Willson Contreras hit one home run in the game.
What is the Red Sox's record after their win against the Cardinals on April 12, 2026?
The Red Sox's record improved to 6 wins and 8 losses after the game.
