CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Brady Basso pitched five-hit ball into the sixth inning in his first major league win, and the Oakland Athletics handed the Chicago White Sox their 16th consecutive home loss with a 2-0 victory on Friday night.
Chicago was shut out for the 18th time, finishing with six hits. At 33-115, the White Sox are approaching the post-1900 record for losses — 120 by the 1962 New York Mets in their inaugural season.
Basso (1-0) struck out two and walked one in 5 1/3 innings in his second major league start and fifth appearance overall. He pitched six scoreless innings in a no-decision against Detroit in his previous outing last week.
Basso, a 26-year-old left-hander, has been sharp since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sept. 5 for his fourth stint with the A's.
“It's just been a blast, a dream come true," said Basso, whose parents and wife, Sarah, were in the stands Friday. "I was just commanding the baseball and letting all my guys make plays.
“I've been able to keep (the ball) on the edges a little better. Early on, I got in trouble leaving balls over the plate.”
Oakland manager Mark Kotsay has been impressed Basso's progress.
“He just keeps hitters off balance with the change of speeds and he's done a nice job with that,” Kotsay said. “He's had a nice year down in the minor leagues and he's getting this opportunity to kind of showcase going into next season."
Zack Gelof hit an RBI double, and Brent Rooker added a run-scoring single. The A's won for the third time in four games.
Michel Otañez relieved Basso after Bryan Ramos reached on a leadoff walk and Andrew Benintendi singled with one out in the sixth. Tyler Ferguson followed with a 1-2-3 eighth, and Mason Miller worked around a single in the ninth for his 25th save.
Garrett Crochet (6-12) worked four innings of one-run ball for Chicago. The All-Star left-hander threw 56 pitches, 38 for strikes, as the White Sox continue to manage his workload.
Crochet, who is 0-7 in his last 16 starts, retired 11 of his first 12 hitters before Oakland broke through for a run with two outs in the fourth.
“He was controlling the zone,” Chicago catcher Korey Lee said. “I don't think they got to him, but he got to himself a little bit when they scored.
“I'm happy that's he's on our team and we don't have to face him.”
Daz Cameron reached on an infield single, and then slid home on Gelof’s double to the wall in right-center.
The Athletics upped it to 2-0 in the fifth on Rooker’s bloop RBI single off Gus Varland.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: 1B Tyler Soderstrom (left wrist injury) joined the A’s in Chicago and Kotsay said there was a possibility of reactivating the 2020 first-round draft pick this weekend. In his second season, the 22-year-old Soderstrom has been out since July 9.
White Sox: Placed RHP Matt Foster on the 15-day IL with a lumbar spine disc herniation and recalled LHP Jake Eder from Triple-A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Oakland RHP J.T. Ginn (0-1, 4.58 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Chris Flexen (2-14, 5.26 ERA) on Saturday night. Flexen has a 22-start winless streak, the longest in White Sox history.
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