It was going to be difficult for Chris Bassitt to top his career year last season that garnered him some American League Cy Young Award votes. But so far in 2021, he’s looking even more dominant than ever before.

A shaky first inning that saw Bassitt throw two wild pitches marked an ominous beginning. However, that ended up being just an outlier in an otherwise stellar performance against the Red Sox in Tuesday’s 3-2 win at Fenway Park. The right-hander held Boston’s offense to two runs on three hits and did not issue a walk. He also racked up a season-high 10 strikeouts.

“I thought it was some of his best stuff of the year,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He seems to be getting better as the season goes along. I know he feels better. He feels like he knows where his pitches are going a little bit more, and it’s certainly shown here recently.”

It's understandable why Bassitt might have been feeling a bit anxious in that opening frame. Though the 32-year-old righty had seven years of big league experience and 86 games pitched under his belt as he entered the night, Tuesday was his first career start against the Red Sox. That means it was also his first time pitching at Fenway Park, the legendary stadium that he dreamed of pitching in while growing up in Toledo, Ohio.

“You talk about ballparks and environments that you’ve always wanted to pitch in. Growing up, I always wanted to pitch here,” Bassitt said. “Every game with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, that’s what I grew up watching -- those Yankee-Boston games. My nerves were way more than normal in the first inning.”

Following the sacrifice fly by J.D. Martinez in the first that put the A’s in an early 1-0 hole, Bassitt cleared away the nerves and settled in with the start of an impressive stretch of 15 consecutive batters retired. By the time he was pulled after completing the seventh at 86 pitches, Bassitt ended his night by retiring 19 of the final 21 batters he faced, with all 10 of his punchouts coming in that span. His only blemish came in the seventh on an opposite-field solo homer yielded to Rafael Devers.

Bassitt has never been quite as overpowering as he’s looked early on this season. Not only did he turn in his sixth consecutive start of two runs allowed, Tuesday’s outing also marked his fifth straight game in which he’s recorded at least seven strikeouts. Of his 10 against Boston, nine were of the swinging variety. 

A revamped slider has been a major factor in Bassitt’s ability to generate more strikeouts -- his 53 on the season are now fourth-most in the American League. The pitch is an amalgamation he developed this spring with the help of fellow teammates Sergio Romo and Jake Diekman. Romo helped with the arm slot, which has more of a drop-down delivery at a lower angle. Diekman provided tips on how to better grip the pitch. 

Entering Tuesday, Bassitt’s slider ranked as one of the most dominant pitches in baseball. According to Statcast, his 66.7 percent whiff (swing and miss) rate on the slider was tied for the highest of any single pitch among all Major League pitchers. Against Boston, Bassitt threw the slider seven times and induced three swings and two whiffs with it.

“Once we added the slider, I instantly started seeing a lot of swings on it,” Bassitt said. “It’s been a massive weapon for me in just the aspect of guys swinging at it. I don’t think they’re picking it up well.  

“I owe Romo a massive gift. I owe Diekman a massive gift … We had to get an offspeed pitch that people were willing to swing at, and we finally got it.” 

Bassitt is also utilizing different arm slots with his four-seam fastball, which he threw 17 times and used as the putaway pitch on six of his punchouts. He also recorded six whiffs with the heater -- the most on any of his six types of pitches thrown on Tuesday.

These adjustments are making it tough on batters to see him well. Boston’s hitters certainly had some problems making hard contact, averaging an exit velocity of just 87.8 mph on 14 balls in play against him. 

“This guy, he’s been one of the best the last few years,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Good sinker, good four-seamer, good breaking ball. He had us off balance, and he was able to finish us off with fastballs up.” 

Matt Chapman and Elvis Andrus supplied Bassitt the lead just before he departed with a pair of RBI singles in the top of the seventh. That one-run advantage was handed off to right-hander Yusmeiro Petit and Jake Diekman, who closed out the game with two shutout innings.

Though Bassitt said he was game for one more inning at 86 pitches, even as he dealt with a minor blister, he vouched his trust in an A’s bullpen that continues to successfully finish off games on a consistent basis. 

“If [Melvin] needed an eighth inning, I was definitely going to throw an eighth inning,” Bassitt said. “But anytime we hand over the ball to the back end of our bullpen, I don’t give a dang. I’ll tell you that.”