Athletics at Pirates
The Oakland Athletics ended their longest losing streak of the season with an impressive display at the plate, and they'll try to build off the breakout performance when they continue a three-game series at the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. Josh Phegley had four hits and drove in eight runs - a club record for a catcher -- to pace a season-high 16-hit attack in Friday's 14-1 win for the Athletics, who had dropped six in a row entering the interleague set.
Matt Chapman had a two-run homer and Kendrys Morales finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored as Oakland also snapped a seven-game road slide. The 14-run output was one shy of what the Athletics produced in the entirety of their six-game losing streak. The Pirates managed only a run-scoring groundout by Josh Bell in the first inning and stranded 10 runners while falling for the sixth consecutive time at home. Trevor Williams hopes for a bit more run support when he starts for the hosts Saturday opposite Chris Bassitt for Oakland.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.38)
Bassitt has dominated in two starts since coming off the injured list, spinning five scoreless innings in a win against Texas on April 22 before working seven solid innings at Toronto on Sunday. He fanned nine Blue Jays while allowing one run and three hits in the no-decision. The 30-year-old, who has never faced the Pirates, owns a 2.87 ERA in three previous interleague outings.
Williams gave up three earned runs or fewer in each of his first five starts before he was tagged for five in six innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. The Arizona State product has lasted at least six innings in all six of his outings after doing so in seven of his final nine starts in 2018. Williams is 5-1 with a sparkling 1.93 ERA in his nine career interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics DH Khris Davis has gone 16 straight games without a homer after slugging 10 in his first 17 contests.
2. Pirates LF Bryan Reynolds had a single Friday and has hit safely in each of his first 10 games in the majors.
3. Phegley has 12 RBIs and six runs scored over the last seven games in which he has had an at-bat.