Chris Bassitt, Orioles seek three-game sweep of Athletics

Chris Bassitt hopes to continue his post-surgery progression and help the Baltimore Orioles complete a three-game sweep of the Athletics when he takes the mound on Sunday afternoon in West Sacramento, Calif.

After missing more than two months following surgery to remove bone spurs from his lower back, Bassitt (5-4, 4.74 ERA) is 1-0 in three starts this month with a 3.06 ERA.

"I'm just happy to be talking pitching again," Bassitt said after his most recent outing last Tuesday, when the 37-year-old right-hander limited the St. Louis Cardinals to one run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 13-1 victory.

Bassitt said he worked with pitching coach Drew French between his past two starts and was pleased with the way he used his lower body to better drive his momentum toward home plate.

"I just think getting my mechanics in the right spot allows me to throw it a little harder," Bassitt said. "Hats off to the training staff and rehab, and all that stuff, because I couldn't have gotten here without them, for sure."

Bassitt, who pitched for the A's from 2015-21, is 4-1 in nine career appearances (seven starts) against his former team with a 3.88 ERA.

He beat them on May 10, allowing one run and four hits in six innings of the 2-1 win in Baltimore.

He might feel even stronger now, however.

"I'm just happy that I feel good. I've always had a lot of confidence that if I feel good, I'll be good," Bassitt said. "It's unfortunate that I've started this year off searching how to feel good for a long time. ... I'm just really happy that I feel normal."

The Orioles won the first two games of the series to move within a game of the final wild card from the American League.

Baltimore received seven solid innings from starter Brandon Young in the 4-3 win in 10 innings on Friday. Fellow right-hander Shane Baz followed with a determined 5 2/3 innings in a 5-3 win on Saturday night.

The A's hurt themselves with three errors on Saturday, including two on one play to start the ninth, leading to a second unearned run in the game that extended the lead to 5-3.

Despite having the third-worst record in the majors (53-83), the A's came into Saturday in the top half of the league in fielding percentage, tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for 13th at .986.

"There's nobody out there that's not giving 100 percent and trying to make plays," A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "Maybe, sometimes at the expense of making errors, and I think we saw that a little bit (Saturday night)."

The A's plan to send tough-luck left-hander Jeffrey Springs to the mound on Sunday.

Springs (3-12, 6.08) has dropped 12 straight decisions since starting the season 3-0.

He most recently took the loss after surrendering four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins last Monday.

Springs has been excellent against the Orioles in his career, however, going 3-0 in 13 career appearances, including three starts, with a 2.33 ERA.

He has not faced Baltimore since the 2024 season.

-Field Level Media