BALTIMORE — Chris Bassitt pitched six solid innings in relief and Leody Taveras threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the seventh to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-1 win over the Athletics on Sunday.
The Orioles announced shortly before the game that left-hander Keegan Akin would start on the mound instead of Bassitt, and that ploy worked out when Akin struck out two in a 1-2-3 first and then Bassitt (3-2) came in and yielded only one run in six innings.
Despite the loss, the A’s remained two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West.
The Athletics plan to move to Las Vegas in 2028, when they are scheduled to open play at a new ballpark on the Strip.
Baltimore left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth, but in the latter inning took a 2-1 lead on an RBI single by Dylan Beavers that chased A’s starter Luis Severino (2-4).
Anthony Nunez walked two in the eighth but struck out Brent Rooker and got Tyler Soderstrom on a flyout to keep the Orioles in front. Rico Garcia worked a hitless ninth for his third save, preventing a three-game sweep by the A’s.
Carlos Cortes hit a sacrifice fly for the Athletics to open the scoring in the second, but Gunnar Henderson’s run-scoring infield single evened the score in the third.
In the sixth, Samuel Basallo doubled and went to third on Taveras’ single. After Taveras stole second, Beavers capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a base hit to left.
In the seventh, the A’s had a runner on second when Zack Gelof singled to center. Taveras’ throw was in time to get Cortes in a collision at the plate.
Orioles infield coach Miguel Cairo was ejected in the third, and A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson left in the fifth with a shoulder injury.
Up next
The A’s are off Monday before sending Jeffrey Springs (3-2) to the mound Tuesday night at home against St. Louis.
