With Gray out sick, A’s fall 2-1 to Rockies
Sonny Gray was scratched from his start against the Rockies because of flu-like symptoms so severe that he was hospitalized Monday night.
Called up from Triple-A Nashville earlier in the day, Bassitt was excellent on just three days’ rest, allowing one run in five innings.
Oakland was stifled, though, by opposing starter Jorge De La Rosa, who pitched seven shutout innings in the Rockies’ 2-1 victory at the Coliseum.
Melvin said that Gray was feeling better Tuesday but that the severity of the illness makes it impossible to say when he will be slotted back into the rotation.
Bassitt did some superb work wriggling out of a jam in the fourth after one-out singles by Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado, getting Carlos Gonzalez to fly out and striking out Wilin Rosario.
In the fifth, though, Ben Paulsen singled to right and Michael McKenry knocked a bouncer just past third baseman Brett Lawrie.
Bassitt retired the next two men and was ahead of Charlie Blackmon 1-2 before Blackmon lined an RBI single to right to send in Paulsen.
The A’s threatened in the sixth when Burns led off with a single, went to second on a passed ball and stole third, but with Burns at third and Stephen Vogt at first after a walk, Ben Zobrist hit a grounder to third.
De La Rosa walked Billy Butler intentionally to load the bases, struck out Josh Phegley and got Lawrie to hit into a force.