Chris Bassitt took a shutout into the seventh inning, George Springer highlighted a walk-filled, six-run top of the seventh with a two-run single and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays busted out late to defeat the Oakland Athletics 7-1 on Tuesday night.
Alejandro Kirk and Cavan Biggio each walked twice as part of a 12-batter uprising in the seventh that allowed the Blue Jays to win for the fifth time in their last six games on a night where the contest was scoreless through six innings.
A’s starter Ken Waldichuk was pulled after six innings, having shut out the Blue Jays on four hits. He walked three and struck out three.
Reliever Zach Neal (1-1) opened the seventh by walking three of the four men he faced, after which Kevin Kiermaier singled home the game’s first run, Springer made it 3-0 with his two-run base hit and Davis Schneider followed with an RBI double, all off Sam Long.
A Whit Merrifield sacrifice fly and three more walks, including one to Biggio with the bases loaded, produced the inning’s final two runs and the 6-0 lead.
The A’s ended Bassitt’s shutout bid in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Jordan Diaz, a run the Blue Jays got back in the eighth on a Springer single that gave him a three-RBI night.
Bassitt (14-7) completed eight innings, charged with one run on seven hits. He struck out seven without issuing a walk.
A former All-Star with the A’s, Bassitt improved to 2-0 in three starts against his old club since being dealt to the New York Mets in March of 2022. He also made a start against Oakland back in 2014.
Kiermaier collected a double, two singles and two runs for Toronto (77-62), which moved past the Texas Rangers (76-62) and into the third wild-card spot in the American League. Kirk chipped in with two doubles and two walks, while Biggio walked three times.
Zack Gelof and Seth Brown each had a double and a single for the A’s (42-97), who allowed nine walks in the game and received none.
—Field Level Media
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