SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Chris Bassitt tried to dodge a bullet Monday but couldn’t pull it off.
A liner off the bat of Miguel Olivo nailed the A’s right-hander flush in the left hamstring in the second inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Bassitt hobbled around in obvious pain and was quickly visited by A’s manager Bob Melvin and trainers.
He shook it off, stayed in the game and impressed Melvin not only with his toughness, but his work on the mound in a 6-4 victory over the Giants. The right-hander pitched into the sixth inning, giving up four runs but looking much more in control than his previous outing Wednesday, when he lost all command of the strike zone in a minor league game.