Field Level Media
Jul 31, 2021
Chris Bassitt threw seven scoreless innings, leading the Oakland A's to a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Bassitt (11-3), selected to the American League All-Star team this season, was winless in his previous two starts since the break, having allowed seven runs in 12 innings. He responded Thursday by shutting down the Angels offense on six hits.
The 32-year-old right-hander struck out seven and walked one.
Sergio Romo worked a scoreless eighth, and Lou Trivino pitched around Justin Upton's leadoff double in the ninth for his 17th save.
Jed Lowrie and Elvis Andrus each had two hits for the A's, and Upton logged two hits for the Angels.
Oakland managed only six hits but pushed across single runs in the fourth and eighth innings to win its third game in a row.
Bassitt began the game by giving up a leadoff single to David Fletcher but responded by retiring the next 10 consecutive Angels hitters until Phil Gosselin singled with one out in the fourth.
By that time, the A's had taken a lead against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval (3-5), who was coming off the best start of his career. On July 24 against the Minnesota Twins, Sandoval took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and wound up giving up one run and one hit in 8 2/3 innings, striking out 13.
In the fourth inning Friday, the A's loaded the bases with two outs against Sandoval on singles by Lowrie, Sean Murphy and Andrus. Mark Canha walked on a full-count pitch to push across the first run of the game.
That would be all Sandoval allowed in the game: one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six but also walked six.
In the eighth, A's third baseman Matt Chapman hit a solo homer, his 14th long ball of the season, off Angels reliever Mike Mayers.
--Field Level Media