Basso tosses six scoreless innings in first big league start 

OAKLAND -- As Friday night's thriller between the A's and the Tigers went back and forth deep into the night, Brady Basso was one of the last arms standing in the home bullpen.

After the A's had used eight pitchers to cover 13 innings, Basso and Ross Stripling -- who had begun to warm up in the game's final inning -- were the only available relievers remaining.

"We were both kind of just looking back at each other," Basso said. "It was like, 'Is it going to be you? Is it going to be me?' It was kind of funny, but we were both ready to go. Whatever they needed, we were ready to do it."

But Oakland walked it off before needing to call on a ninth arm, and Basso was told afterward that he would be making his first big league start the following day. The 26-year-old left-hander stepped up big for the A's and their depleted bullpen on Saturday afternoon, tossing six scoreless innings before his team fell to the Tigers, 2-1.

Ranked the No. 28 A's prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Basso posted a 5.40 ERA across his first three big league appearances, all coming in relief this year. He has primarily been a starter in the Minor Leagues and went 5-4 with a 4.55 ERA in 22 outings (18 starts) between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2024.

The chance to take the mound at the Coliseum for the first time was just about as exciting for Basso as getting to make his first big league start. With the A's set to play in Sacramento from 2025-27 before their planned relocation to Las Vegas, there are seven games remaining in Oakland.

"I got drafted by the A's, and so that was the goal, to eventually get to pitch here," Basso said. "Now that we're most likely going to leave next season, being able to pitch here and get to experience it was super awesome. The fans were great, so can't complain about any of it."

Basso dazzled in front of the home crowd, striking out six against just one walk and limiting the Tigers to three hits. He was at 85 pitches after completing the sixth inning, with the A's leading 1-0 thanks to Kyle McCann's RBI single in the fifth.

Manager Mark Kotsay opted to go to the bullpen from there, not wanting to push Basso too far.

"Eighty-five pitches, he's been around that number all through the Minor Leagues in his starts," the A's skipper said. "And for him in his first big league start on the mound to walk off with a 1-0 lead, it was a pretty outstanding day."

Detroit was then able to take advantage of the taxed 'pen and some sloppy Oakland defense, scoring a pair of unearned runs in the seventh against T.J. McFarland and Michel Otañez -- who were both pitching for the third day in a row.

"We knew [Basso] was built up to five or six innings, but we would've liked to get to him early and then make them absolutely demolish their 'pen," Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. "That was the goal, but he was doing well. He was executing pitches, keeping us off balance and making big pitches in big spots."

Surging past his previous season high of two innings, Basso was able to mix the four pitches in his bag to great success. In his three relief appearances, he had leaned mostly on his four-seamer and curveball, throwing them almost an equal amount.

Facing the Tigers, though, Basso went heaviest on his fastball by a wide margin, throwing it 52% of the time and getting six of his 12 swing-and-misses on the offering.

"His fastball command was outstanding," McCann said. "When he's putting the ball where he wants to, it makes everything else play good. And he's got an unbelievable curveball, and his cutter plays perfectly off of it. And on top of all that, he's got a changeup, so he's got a lot of weapons."

Basso's poise on the mound -- especially since he was able to shut down a Tigers team that still has feasible postseason aspirations -- impressed his skipper, but Kotsay was unsure whether Basso's next outing for the A's would come as a starter or in relief.

No matter the role he appears in next, Basso will cherish his long-awaited chance to start in Oakland.

"It was awesome," he said. "A dream come true."