Chris Bassitt made his spring debut for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Jet Blue Park in Ft. Myers as the Birds traveled to take on the BoSox. Not an awful first start, as Bassitt pitched into the third inning. Bassitt’s line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Bassist gave up a double and then an RBI-single to Durbin in the first inning. He walked a runner in the third, who came around to score following Bassitt’s departure, on three-run homer by Contreras. Sandwhiches around that was a Heston Kjerstad RBI-double in the second.
Boston would load the bases later in the third, and Castro’s two-RBI single would extend the lead to 6-1. It appeared the rout was on on this Sunday at Fenway South. But the O’s chipped away.
With one out in the fifth Enrique Bradley Jr. bunted for a base hit, and Boston proceeded to commit a two-base error. Part of that was an errant throw in an attempt to get Bradley at first base. But after that it was Bradley’s speed in getting to third base. Bradley would score on Colton Cowser’s run-scoring groundout.
Following a walk and a double, Samuel Basallo would smack a ground rule two-RBI double, and the O’s had cut the Boston lead to 6-4. Heston Kjerstad’s subsequent RBI-single would cut it further to 6-5.
Boston would rack what they was almost an insurance run on in the fifth on an errant throw by Basallo in the fifth. But that’s awful early to add an “insurance run.” And true to form, the Orioles loaded the bases in the next inning and tied the game on back-to-back walks. Jud Fabian’s RBI-groundout later in the inning gave them an 8-7 lead.
The big story was Chris Bassitt’s outing. But don’t displace Heston Kjerstad’s game. He’s quietly having a very good camp. It’ll be interesting to see if he can play his way onto the roster. Needless to say, he could use a good break going his way.
Birdland Crush 