TORONTO -- The last time Chris Bassitt pitched in Toronto, he had the raucous hometown crowd behind him as he came on in relief in the sixth inning of Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers in November.
The now Orioles starter returned to the Rogers Centre mound for the first time since that heartbreaking defeat on Friday night to open a three-game series against the Blue Jays in an outing that took on a very different feel in the midst of a heated American League Wild Card race.
Orioles leadoff hitter Dylan Beavers began the night by sending the second pitch of the game from Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer over the right-field wall for an early 1-0 lead, and Bassitt allowed two runs over five-plus innings en route to a convincing 7-4 win.
For 95 pitches, it was almost like stepping back in time for the former Blue Jay.
“I love this ballpark, for sure,” Bassitt said. “It’s pretty hard to beat me here. Showing up in a must-win game for us, I’m happy to pitch. You kind of have to treat every game like a must-win. Playing clean but playing with a sense of urgency.”
Beavers’ blast was a sign of things to come, as the Orioles’ offense erupted for five runs in the second thanks to six straight hits to open the inning.
The offensive onslaught marked the fourth game in a row the O’s have scored at least five runs, an encouraging late-season trend as they try to track down the final AL Wild Card spot.
Manager Craig Albernaz credited his lineup and the approach they took in the first few innings.
“Guys did a great job moving the ball forward,” Albernaz said. “Great swings, great approaches. Jumping on pitches early. Passing the baton.”
For Bassitt, it was the second time this season he worked into the sixth inning against his former team. Back on May 28 in Baltimore, he gave up one run over six innings in a 2-1 loss.
The veteran worked out of trouble multiple times, including a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the third to keep the Orioles staked to a comfortable lead they would never surrender. By the end of his night, he had given up six hits, walked three and struck out five.
“Overall, I felt like pitchability kind of saved me, because execution wasn’t great,” Bassitt said. “Being able to mix pitches helped.”
It’s hard not to believe the start held extra meaning. Not only was he returning to his old ballpark, but he went up against a friend in Scherzer.
At 37 years old, Bassitt is a veteran on the Orioles’ staff, but facing the 42-year-old Scherzer certainly makes him feel youthful.
“Max is old,” Bassitt said with a laugh. “Glad we won, because I know a lot of those guys wouldn’t let me hear the end of that one. Max is one of my, if not my, favorite players I’ve ever played with. I can brag a little bit about this one.”
While it wasn’t the cleanest of starts, Albernaz trusted his starter’s ability to deal with the traffic on the bases when needed.
“It was outstanding,” Albernaz said of Bassitt’s outing. “He did everything and more for us to win the game. When we got the lead early, he did a great job coming in and pounding the strike zone. Him being the veteran presence and being able to navigate those innings where he had the walks and able to pitch around them, get some weak contact, it was a really great outing.”