MLB Game Preview - Oakland at Toronto
Sun Apr 28, 2019 1:07 PM EDT

MIA
1
PHI
5
F
TB
5
BOS
2
F
OAK
4
TOR
5
F(11)
MIL
2
NYM
5
F
COL
7
ATL
8
F
SD
6
WSH
7
F(11)
BAL
1
MIN
4
F
DET
1
CHW
4
F
CIN
2
STL
5
F
LAA
7
KC
3
F
NYY
11
SF
5
F
CHC
6
ARI
5
F(15)
TEX
14
SEA
1
F
PIT
6
LAD
7
F
CLE
1
HOU
4
F
Blue Jays eyeing sweep in finale with Athletics
Sun Apr 28, 2019 2:34 AM

The Oakland A's get one more chance Sunday afternoon when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays defeated the A's 7-1 on Saturday and now have won all five meetings between the teams, including three games last weekend in Oakland.

The A's will be trying to avoid the double sweep in the series finale.

"They've just played better than we have, unfortunately," Athletics manager Doug Melvin said after the loss Saturday. "So we have to come out with a little different mojo tomorrow. They just outplayed us."

The A's won all seven meetings with the Blue Jays last season. Oakland swept the Texas Rangers in a three-game series in between playing the Blue Jays.

"We've been a team that's responded pretty well to adversity over the last year-plus to this point," Melvin said. "We had a bad series against them, then we swept the next series, we've lost the first two (of this series). I expect us to come out and respond (Sunday)."

The Athletics will start right-hander Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Sunday against Blue Jays right-hander Trent Thornton (0-3, 5.79).

Bassitt was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas April 27 and earned the win in his first start with the A's on Monday, 6-1 over the Texas Rangers. He pitched five innings, allowing two hits, four walks and striking out seven. He opened the season on the injured list (right leg contusion) and made three rehabilitation starts at Class A Stockton and one at Las Vegas, going 0-0 with a 3.27 ERA

Bassitt took the loss in his only career start against Toronto on April 23, 2016. He allowed nine hits, two walks and six runs while striking out five in five innings in the 9-3 Oakland loss at the Rogers Centre.

He had seven stints last season with the A's on his return to the major leagues from Tommy John surgery in 2016. He was 2-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 11 games, including seven starts.

Thornton will be trying for his first win in his sixth major league start. He has been the losing pitcher in each of his past three starts, allowing 13 runs over 12 2/3 innings for a 9.24 ERA. He had set a team record with 15 strikeouts over his first two major league starts.

Infielder Eric Sogard has hit in all nine games in which he has played with the Blue Jays and is batting 14-for-35 (.400) with three doubles, two homers and eight RBIs. He doubled, walked twice and drove in a run with a squeeze bunt on Saturday.

"For the team to be at its best, you need to have both aspects of the game working," Sogard said. "And, obviously, we have plenty of guys who can hit the long ball. But, I think adding the small-ball game into it is only going to make us better."

Aaron Sanchez, who pitched five innings for the win on Saturday, likes the addition of some small-ball strategy.

"That's the way the game is played," he said. "Create havoc out there, we've got some guys who can burn, so if we can get those guys on it will be fun for us to do some things that you haven't really seen here done in the past."

The Blue Jays again were without shortstop Freddy Galvis, who has not started since last Sunday when he injured his hamstring on a fielding play.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Team Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Oakland            
Toronto            

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Chris Bassitt - TOR
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Toronto
Trent Thornton - SEA
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Oakland

Hot Batters (Last 10 team games)

Injury Report

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