Bassitt's remixed slider reaps winning results

Chris Bassitt wasn’t satisfied with his cutter against righties. The pitch wasn’t working as desired. So, in the middle of a season in which he’s already had so much success, Bassitt decided to experiment, and the early returns are encouraging.

Bassitt introduced a revamped slider as he held the Rangers to one run across seven innings in the A’s 5-1 victory over the Rangers on Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Field. It’s a pitch he’s been working on for quite some time.

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“We just felt today was the day to break it out,” Bassitt said. “One, to see how it is, and two, to get comfortable with it. I think it’s going to be a really big pitch for me down the stretch.”

The change was warranted because Bassitt didn’t like how his cutter played against righties. Bassitt said that he had a tendency to “back up” his cutter, and while he got away with that against lefties, righties made him pay. He referenced the home run he allowed to Gary Sánchez in his last outing, which came against the since-discarded cutter.

“We’ve been analyzing my cutter to righties for quite some time now,” Bassitt said. “It’s toying with disaster almost every time I throw it, so we just said we’re getting rid of it. We still call it a cutter, but it’s almost a true slider.”

So, how did this slider play? Bassitt’s average slider on Thursday was 78.9 mph, up from his season average of 75.1 mph. The pitch maxed out at 84.4 mph, but was also thrown as slow as 72.8 mph. Bassitt expected his slider to sit in the 85 mph range, but said that he’ll continue to tinker.

The early returns were promising. Bassitt, who said he used the same slider grip as he did back in 2014, held the Rangers hitless in eight at-bats against the slider, including a strikeout. Suffice it to say, he got the results he desired.

The cutter, however, isn’t completely gone. Bassitt threw 11 cutters on Thursday, the big difference being that the pitch was exclusively thrown to left-handed hitters. Bassitt will continue to experiment, but his latest start provided a solid foundation to build upon.

“I liked it a lot,” he said of his slider. “I liked the swings on it.”

Bassitt, oddly enough, didn’t cruise along as he has done in past starts. The Rangers put a runner on base in all seven innings that Bassitt was on the mound. He worked out of the stretch more often than not. Still, there was never the feeling that Bassitt wasn’t in control.

While the right-hander wasn’t racking up strikeouts or throwing perfect innings, he kept Texas in check by generating soft contact. Of the 20 balls that the Rangers put in play, only two were struck hard (95+ mph exit velocity). With so many balls put in play, Oakland’s defense had plenty of opportunities to make plays.

Matt Olson made the difficult look routine in the bottom of the sixth, fielding a chopper, spinning and firing to second for a forceout. Matt Chapman immediately followed up with a flex of his own, fielding a chopper and firing a bullet to Olson across the diamond.

But no one had a web gem as critical as, appropriately enough, Elvis Andrus, who made a diving stop to initiate an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the seventh. Manager Bob Melvin said Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who grounded into the double play, was going to be Bassitt’s last hitter, so Andrus’ diving stop allowed Bassitt to clear the seven-inning mark.

These lengthy, effective outings are par for the course for Bassitt. Over his last 14 starts, Bassitt has a 2.96 ERA across 88 1/3 innings. Entering play on Thursday evening, Bassitt has thrown 99 2/3 innings, which leads all pitchers in the American League.

“That’s what a number one guy does,” said Melvin.

Even with the success, Bassitt will continue trying to refine and sharpen his repertoire. Considering the season he’s already having, it’s worth watching where Bassitt can go from here.

Canha exits early
Mark Canha was pulled in the third inning of Thursday’s game due to a left hip strain and will have an MRI on Friday, per Melvin.

Melvin said that Canha was a little sore on Wednesday, and that after two at-bats on Thursday, the hip bothered him enough to warrant an early removal.

Canha has been having an All-Star-caliber season for Oakland, slashing .255/.375/.450 with 11 home runs in 74 games.