BALTIMORE (AP) — 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.
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.
The A's are off Monday before sending Jeffrey Springs (3-2) to the mound Tuesday night at home against St. Louis.
The Orioles had not announced a starting pitcher for Monday night's home game against the New York Yankees.
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