A's Fall To White Sox, Drop 4th Straight
CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert had three hits and two RBIs, Eloy Jiménez drove in a run with a double and the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Seth Brown hit a solo shot for the Athletics, who lost their fourth straight and learned before the game that ace Chris Bassitt has a broken bone in his cheek and needs surgery to repair it. The right-hander sustained no eye damage after being struck on the side of the head by a line drive on Tuesday and appears to have a clear path to recovery.
Oakland general manager David Forst said it's too soon to project whether Bassitt will pitch again this season or how long it could take him to return.
Bassitt was taken to the hospital after getting hit by a ball off Brian Goodwin's bat in the second inning of Tuesday's 9-0 White Sox win. The 32-year-old has shown no signs of a concussion and a scan of his brain was normal, following an ordeal that left him crumpled and bleeding on the mound.
Garrett Crochet (3-5), the first of four White Sox relievers, pitched 1 2/3 innings for the win. Liam Hendriks got the final five outs against his former team, striking out the side in the ninth, for his 28th save.
White Sox starter Lance Lynn was ejected by third-base umpire Nic Lentz in the middle of the fourth when he complained and appeared to throw his belt during a foreign substance check at the dugout. The big right-hander allowed one run on three hits and three walks as he labored through 88 pitches.
Robert is 12 for 28 with six RBIs in seven games after missing three months with a hip flexor strain. But the 24-year-old center fielder slipped trying to catch Elvis Andrus' triple in the seventh, and Andrus scored on Starling Marte's sac fly.
Paul Blackburn (0-1) allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first major league appearance this season after being called up to take Bassitt's roster spot. Oakland's other starters were pushed back a day.
Oakland fell one game behind New York for the top AL wild card. The Yankees are 69-52, followed by the A's at 68-53 and the Red Sox at 69-54.
Lynn's pitch count soared as he escaped jams in the first and third without allowing a run.
BEST POSSIBLE NEWS
While still concerned for Bassitt, A's manager Bob Melvin said his team was relieved to learn the righty should recover.
"We got what we considered was good news today so everybody's in much better spirits in the clubhouse today," Melvin said. "You have to go through certain events in your career, this being on the extreme end, but it's just going out there and trying to win today's game."
The 32-year-old Bassitt was in the midst of another stellar season. Even after Tuesday's loss, he's 12-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 25 starts.
TIPPING POINT
Hendriks said he was hit hard by the Yankees in two appearances last weekend because he was tipping his pitches. The All-Star allowed seven runs on five hits — including three homers — in 1 1/3 innings against New York before rebounding and striking out the side in the ninth against Oakland on Monday for his 27th save.
"Tipping is the easiest thing to fix," Hendriks said.
Hendriks admitted his wife, Kristi, had noticed it too — even before he reviewed videos.
"She's always right," Hendriks said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: Bassitt was placed on the 10-day IL.
UP NEXT
Oakland LHP Cole Irvin (8-11, 3.52) faces Chicago RHP Dylan Cease (9-6, 4.04) in the series finale on Thursday.
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