The Oakland Athletics parlayed four singles, three walks and an infield out into five fourth-inning runs and right-hander Chris Bassitt took advantage of a nice cushion to coast to his sixth straight win Tuesday night in a 5-2 interleague victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Pinch-hitter Chad Pinder and Matt Chapman drove in runs with singles, while Sean Murphy and Elvis Andrus forced home others with bases-loaded walks in the fourth-inning uprising that propelled the American League-leading A’s to the fifth win in their last six games.
Christian Walker homered for the Diamondbacks, who dropped their franchise-record 18th straight on the road.
Walker’s homer, his second of the season, led off the second inning and gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead.
Pavin Smith followed with a single and David Peralta walked, after which Bassitt (6-2) retired the next 15 batters before Walker led off the seventh with a single.
In the meantime, Oakland’s big fourth flipped the game well into the home team’s favor and ended rookie Jon Duplantier’s night before he retired anyone in the inning.
The A’s merry-go-round began when singles by Jed Lowrie and Mitch Moreland sandwiched Matt Olson’s walk to load the bases.
Murphy then walked to tie the game and prompt a pitching change, after which Pinder and Chapman singled off Alex Young, each moving the line along 90 feet and giving Oakland a 3-1 lead.
Andrus’ walk provided a fourth run, and Pinder scored the inning’s final run when Mark Canha hit into a fielder’s choice.
That was plenty of support for Bassitt, who allowed a seventh-inning run on Josh Reddick’s sacrifice fly before completing the inning and calling it a night. He allowed two runs and just four hits, with one walk and six strikeouts.
The Oakland ace extended his streak without a loss to 11 games, during which he has gone 6-0.
Lou Trivino pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.
Pinder, who stayed in the game after his pinch-hit appearance, went 3-for-3 for Oakland, which beat Arizona for the third straight time this season. The A’s totaled six hits, all singles.
Walker, who scored both Diamondbacks runs, and Smith had two hits apiece to account for all but one of Arizona’s total. Walker had the game’s only extra-base hit.
Duplantier (0-2) was charged with four runs on two hits and three walks in three innings. He struck out four.
–Field Level Media