Bassitt lifts Oakland to series win
ARLINGTON, Texas — The A’s first half undulated like the wave they adopted as a slogan. An 06 start gave way to a 13game winning streak. June swelled, then subsided. Their record crested at 17 games above .500 on June 18. They lost 13 of their last 21 before the AllStar break.
A 41 win over the Rangers on Sunday sent the A’s into the break on a positive note. It secured their first series win in their past seven. They spent the
final 20 days of the first half in second place, 60 of 61 before that in first. At 12 games over .500, they own the AL’s fifthbest record.
“Overall, I think we underachieved almost the whole first half,” said righthander Chris Bassitt, the winning pitcher Sunday. “I thought our hitting was spotty, our pitching at times was spotty. Obviously our record is pretty good, but I think we can do a whole heck of a lot better.”
Bassitt held the Rangers to one run over seven innings and departed afterward for Denver with fellow AllStar selection Matt Olson, who hit two solo home runs in the win. Bassitt became the second AL pitcher this season ( joining Cleveland’s Aaron Civale) to doubledigit wins. He is leading a rotation that has been the A’s steadiest group. A’s starters lead the majors in innings and rank third in the AL in ERA.
Bassitt had allowed six runs in 41⁄3 innings to a potent Astros lineup his previous time out. A Texas lineup resting AllStar Joey Gallo offered less resistance. Bassitt allowed four hits, one for extra bases. Nick Solak’s twoout double in the fifth produced Texas’ lone run. Bassitt worked an ALhigh 118 innings before the break. He has pitched seven or more innings in eight of his past 13 outings.
“I think he’s at a point in time of his career now where a bad outing doesn’t affect him,” said manager Bob Melvin. “Based on the fact he’s pitched so well I think he always has confidence no matter what.”
A firsttime AllStar, Bassitt said he “would love to pitch in the game. I think I will, but it all depends on how I feel tomorrow” and Tuesday. Bassitt also indicated the fourday pause arrives at a good time.
“Just get a couple extra days off so I can kind of just regroup and let my body recover,” Bassitt said. “That’s kind of what I’m looking forward to, honestly; just starting the second half feeling a lot better than what I have in the last couple weeks.”
A’s pitching walked a thin margin in recent weeks. The A’s are 4112 when scoring four or more runs but produced that in just 10 of their last 21 games. A hip injury to Mark Canha in late June left the lineup without its leadoff hitter. It has averaged 3.7 runs in 15 games since. Melvin hopes Canha can return when the break ends. “But we’ll see how he does,” he said.
Power from the lineup reappeared the past two days in Texas. The A’s hit eight home runs in their two wins. All four Sunday were solo shots. Jed Lowie and Sean Murphy drove backtoback home runs in the second inning against lefthander Kolby Allard. Murphy and Seth Brown had gone backtoback Saturday. It marked the A’s first time doing so in consecutive games since April 2019.
Olson, who will hit in the Home Run Derby on Monday, began his display early. He homered off Allard in the fourth and sixth innings. It raised his total to 23 on the season, 11 of which he has hit against lefthanders.
“In the past we’ve been a homerun hitting team, and it was good to see some leave the yard,” Olson said. “It was good to come out with a couple wins before the break. Everybody (can) hit the reset button and get a breath of fresh air and come back the second half ready to roll.”
The A’s have also been a strong secondhalf team in the past. Melvin suggested that “you kind of see the finish line a little, and also our front office is pretty good about adding some players in areas they think are deficient.” Oakland will emerge from the break 31⁄2 games behind the Astros in the AL West.
“We’re within striking distance,” Olson said. “Obviously we’d like to be in first place in the division, and we’re not. But hopefully we come out and whatever that secondhalf magic is we’ve had in the past, we keep it going.”