A’s Olson is back in the swing of things.
Two All-Stars helped the A’s end their first half with a bang.
Matt Olson and Chris Bassitt put on a show Sunday in their 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The win ended a tough skid on a high note as the A’s finish the first half with a 52-40 record. They own the American League’s fifth-best record, and notched their first series win since they swept the Los Angeles Angels June 14-16.
With the Houston Astros getting a walk-off win over the New York Yankees to prevent a sweep, the A’s will hit the All-Star break 31/2 games behind their American League West rival for first place.
After losing 14 of their last 20, the division deficit isn’t as bad as it could be.
“Overall, I think we underachieved almost the whole first half,” Bassitt said. “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.”
The A’s have spent 20 of the first half’s final days in second place after spending 60 days in first place.
“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 second half magic is we’ve had in the past, we keep it going.”
MATT OLSON’S DAY >> The A’s first baseman is warming up for his Home Run Derby appearance
today in Denver. After a drought in which Olson went without a home run for 14 games between June 20 and July 7, Olson hit two solo home runs, Nos. 22 and 23, off Rangers left-handed starter Kolby Allard on Sunday. The first went to left-center field, the second to right.
BASSITT’S OUTING >> Bassitt bounced back from a six-run outing against the Houston Astros and pitched seven innings of one-run ball against the Rangers. That one run came on a RBI double from Nick Solak that scored David Dahl from first. Bassitt struck out three with four hits allowed.
“I think he’s at a point in this time of his career now where a bad outing doesn’t affect him,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Based on the fact he’s pitched so well I think he always has confidence no matter what.”
The start rounds out a strong first half for the A’s ace. Bassitt lowered his ERA to 3.28, eighth-best in the American League, with a leagueleading 118 innings pitched. Bassitt’s decision to pitch in the All-Star game on Tuesday will depend on how he’s feeling today, though he said he “would love to pitch in the game.”
The Rangers brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth against closer Lou Trivino, who walked Nate Lowe and gave up a hit to Dahl. But pinch-hitter Jonah Heim hit a ball 389 feet into Ramón Laureano’s glove.
POWER SURGE >> All four of the A’s runs came on solo home runs. Besides Olson, there were back-to-back solo shots from Jed Lowrie and Sean Murphy.
Before Sunday, the A’s hadn’t hit four solo home runs as their only source of offense, with a win, since May 5 1930 when Joe Boley hit two, Mule Haas hit one and Al Simmons hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning off General Crowder to beat the St. Louis Browns.