Game #21: Bassitt grounds Orioles, Lowrie homers, A’s win 13th straight

The win streak is up to 13, and the wave continues.

The Oakland A’s notched another victory on Saturday, this time 7-2 over the Baltimore Orioles. The pitching was sharp, the lineup scored early and often, and the game generally looked like a contender beating up on a rebuilding squad.

*** Game Thread #1 | Game Thread #2 ***

The A’s got to work immediately against Baltimore starter Wade LeBlanc, with the very first batter Mark Canha launching a double to lead off the 1st inning. Next up was Jed Lowrie, who stung the ball to right field but found a glove for a loud out instead of an RBI. Then the Baseball Gods immediately gave it back to Oakland, on this popup “single” by Matt Olson.

Another rally formed in the 2nd inning, with two runners on for Canha. He drove them both in with a sharp single, the team’s second-hardest contact of the evening at 105.8 mph off the bat.

Olson followed with a double to bring home Canha, and it nearly carried over the LF wall for a homer. The A’s had a 4-0 lead, and they never looked back.

The Orioles got one back in the bottom of the 2nd, but the green-and-gold kept adding in the 4th. The first two batters reached base, including a HBP of Canha that brings his career total one away from Oakland’s all-time lead. Then Lowrie, who had already been robbed in each of his first two at-bats, finally hit one where nobody could catch it.

Seven runs, nine hits, five walks, and a HBP. This A’s lineup is locked in, and there’s nothing Baltimore could do to stop them tonight.

Quality Bassitt

On the pitching side, Chris Bassitt made his second straight quality start. The right-hander didn’t dominate, navigating around a few rallies, but he made it through six innings with only two runs on the board. And even one of those runs was a bit lucky, as a sharp grounder bounced off the bag at first base when it might possibly have been fielded, resulting in an RBI double.

• Bassitt: 6 ip, 2 runs, 8 Ks, 1 BB, 8 hits, 101 pitches, 90.5 mph EV

There were a half-dozen pieces of hard contact, most of which went for the hits they deserved, but nothing for more than a double. And striking out eight of your 26 batters will help mitigate those hits.

The bullpen breezed through the rest. Adam Kolarek got four weak grounders for outs, one of them a bunt, and J.B. Wendelken got two more. Deolis Guerra stranded a couple hits in the 9th to end it, dropping his ERA to 1.23 this year.

And that’s a wrap. No late dramatics, which is a good thing when you take an early lead. Just a solid win all around, a business-like 13th addition to the win streak. Ride the wave!