Chris Bassitt gets historic first playoff win

        Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (Genoa/University of Akron) earned the win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series Wednesday night — his first Major League playoff victory.
       He allowed one run on six hits and one walk while striking out five over seven innings.
       Oakland needed a win to stay alive after Chicago took Game 1 on Tuesday, and Bassitt answered the call with yet another gem. Bassitt has now turned in three consecutive scoreless appearances and has a minuscule 0.27 ERA in his last five outings dating back to Sept. 7. The right-hander looks like a legitimate frontline starter for the A's.
        There might not be a pitcher in baseball entering the postseason on a better roll than Chris Bassitt.
        Making his final start before the Wild Card Series, which began Tuesday, Bassitt did what he’s been doing all season: dominate. The right-hander tossed seven shutout innings before Mark Canha walked it off with a two-run homer for a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners in 10 innings at the Coliseum. It was Bassitt's third scoreless outing in his past four starts.
       The win moved the A’s up to No. 2 in the American League postseason standings.
       “He’s been so consistent for us you almost expect it out of him,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Seven innings was plenty tonight with what’s coming up in potentially his next start. He knows where everything is going and has a good feel for his breaking ball. Really good game again, and similar to what we’ve seen all year."
        A season that began with Bassitt landing a spot in the A’s starting rotation mostly due to others' injuries ended with him ranking among the game’s elite. His 2.29 ERA over 11 starts is third lowest among American League starters.
        Bassitt’s terrific work in September should merit AL Player of the Month Award consideration, too. In four September starts, Bassitt went 3-0 with a 0.34 ERA, allowing just one run, with 25 strikeouts over 26 2/3 innings.
        In 2019, the Curtice native and 2007 Genoa High School graduate Chris Bassitt had his best season to date in the Major Leagues prior to this year.
        The 31-year-old Bassitt was part of the Oakland A’s starting rotation, going 10-5 with a 3.81 ERA. He started 25 games, pitched in 28, and had 141 strikeouts in 144 innings with a WHIP of 1.19.
        “Honestly, I thought the season went really well,” Bassitt told The Press. “I felt like all the other seasons were somewhat similar, it’s just last year brought a lot more opportunity innings-wise. I think my performance was just kind of magnified.”
        The son of John and Dawn Bassitt, Chris was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 16th round out of the University of Akron in 2011 and made his major league debut in 2014. Since becoming a professional he has undergone and recovered from Tommy John surgery, but says when healthy his fastball can reach 95 miles per hour.
        (— by Martin Gallegos with permission from mlb.com, and includes Press file copy.)