Bassitt stymies D-backs, Arizona drops 18th in a row on road
OAKLAND, Calif. - To get feeling right physically again, Chris Bassitt spent one of his recent days off icing his legs in a 45-degree Colorado river as teammate Cole Irvin went fishing.
"I was basically sitting in an ice bath all day long," Bassitt said.
Manager Bob Melvin knew a couple of extra days would do the trick for Bassitt to get his groove back after a tough start at Seattle that came right after the emotions of tossing his first career complete game on May 27.
Bassitt struck out six over seven strong innings to win his sixth consecutive decision, and the Oakland Athletics beat Arizona 5-2 on Tuesday night to send the Diamondbacks to a franchise-record 18th straight road defeat.
"It’s a learning experience for me throwing the nine innings I did. There’s definitely a difference between seven or eight and nine," Bassitt said. "Didn’t do what I needed to do to recover for Seattle. Obviously I kick myself for that. It happened, I learned from it."
Bassitt (6-2) walked one and allowed two runs on four hits and is unbeaten since back-to-back losses to start the year. Christian Walker led off the second with a home run against the right-hander for a quick Arizona advantage.
"I think he made some mistakes and we were able to capitalize in a couple situations early but then he became very stubborn," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said of Bassitt.
Chad Pinder and Matt Chapman each hit RBI singles in a five-run fourth inning as the A’s showed they can score runs without having to rely on clearing the fences.
Jed Lowrie singled leading off the fourth for Oakland’s first hit against right-hander Jon Duplantier (0-2), chased by Sean Murphy’s bases-loaded walk later in the inning as the A’s eventually batted around.
Yusmeiro Petit pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Lou Trivino finished the 2-hour, 44-minute game for his ninth save.
Josh Reddick hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Walker also added a seventh-inning single in Arizona’s first interleague game at an AL ballpark this season. The D-backs’ losing streak reached six games, and they haven’t won on the road since a 7-0 victory at Atlanta on April 25.
Duplantier surrendered four runs on two hits, struck out four and walked three in three-plus innings.
"I got away from this mentality of execution and then I kind of got into this mentality of ramp up, muscle up, try to do too much," he said. "I never really got back."
MELVIN HONORED
Melvin, the winningest in Oakland history with 800 victories including Tuesday’s win, received a wine gift from executive Billy Beane and tributes on the big screen in a pregame ceremony celebrating his accomplishment.
"It was all a surprise," Melvin said.
VOGT’S RETURN
Former A’s fan favorite catcher Stephen Vogt enjoyed catching up with familiar faces like Oakland bench coach Mark Kotsay as he returned to another of his old stomping grounds after just playing in another of his former cities, Milwaukee.
"This is the Stephen Vogt reunion tour," he said with a smile.
The game drew 3,695 fans, many of whom cheered Vogt but booed another former Oakland player, Reddick.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: LHP Madison Bumgarner (inflamed pitching shoulder) is still receiving treatment for his injury that put him on the injured list last week but is closer to beginning some light catch. ... RHP Taylor Widener (strained right groin) is progressing through his throwing program and has played catch out to 90 feet. ... Lovullo is encouraged that RF Kole Calhoun is making significant strides from a strained left hamstring and is ramping up his running, throwing and hitting. ... RHP Zac Gallen (sprained right elbow) threw a simulated game Monday, will have a bullpen in the coming days and and then likely throw another session facing live hitting this weekend.
Athletics: CF Ramón Laureano, working back from a strained right hip that landed him on the IL, began some light running but there still isn’t a timetable for when he might return.
UP NEXT
RHP Matt Peacock (2-2, 4.68 ERA) pitches Tuesday afternoon for Arizona coming off a loss at Milwaukee as the A’s counter with LHP Sean Manaea (4-2, 3.36), who has allowed one or fewer runs in each of his last three starts and seven of his 12 outings overall.
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