Basso makes return in Lugnuts’ 2-0 loss
LANSING, Mich. – Brady Basso pitched in a Minor League Baseball game for the first time in nearly 700 days, tossing 1 2/3 hitless innings, only to see four Dayton Dragons (9-13) pitchers combine on a four-hit shutout in defeating Basso’s Lansing Lugnuts (11-10), 2-0, in a Grand Slam School
LANSING, Mich. – Brady Basso pitched in a Minor League Baseball game for the first time in nearly 700 days, tossing 1 2/3 hitless innings, only to see four Dayton Dragons (9-13) pitchers combine on a four-hit shutout in defeating Basso’s Lansing Lugnuts (11-10), 2-0, in a Grand Slam School Day Wednesday matinee at Jackson® Field™.
A southpaw drafted by the Oakland A’s in the 16th round from Oklahoma State in 2019, Basso impressed early with the Lugnuts in 2021, but was shut down due to injury following a home appearance against the Great Lakes Loons on June 15.
688 days later, the native of Pearland, Tex., made a fine return on the same field. In a perfect first inning, he struck out the league’s leading hitter, Blake Dunn, looking on a curve to open up the game, retired Cincinnati Reds No. 3 prospect Edwin Arroyo on a groundout to third, and coaxed a routine flyout to center field from Austin Callahan.
In the second inning, Basso struck out 2020 first-rounder Austin Hendrick looking, walked Mat Nelson and whiffed Tyler Callihan with a high fastball before departing due to pitch count. He departed having thrown 34 pitches, 21 strikes.
This morning, Brady Basso returned to the mound in an @MiLB game for the first time since June 2021.
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) May 3, 2023
The results spoke for themselves. pic.twitter.com/61bnGjTZhS
Jack Perkins followed Basso and struck out four in five innings, but was victimized by a pair of small-ball rallies. In the fourth inning, Hendrick singled, stole second, was sacrificed to third and came home on a Ruben Ibarra groundout for the game’s first run. In the sixth, Callahan singled, moved to second on a Hendrick single, took third on a Callihan HBP, and came home on an Ibarra sacrifice fly.
Lansing’s offense, meanwhile, was stymied by Dayton starter Hunter Parks and the Dragons’ bullpen. Parks worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, induced double-play balls to end the second and third innings, gave up a leadoff triple to Daniel Susac in the fourth but escaped unscathed and finished with five scoreless innings.
Vin Timpanelli then fired a perfect sixth, Manuel Cachutt faced the minimum in the seventh and eighth innings, and Donovan Benoit handled a perfect ninth to wrap up the shutout.
Lansing’s top four hitters in the order – Caeden Trenkle, Jack Winkler, Max Muncy and Susac – each collected one of the team’s four hits. Trenkle finished 1-for-4 with a single to extend his on-base streak to 18 games.
The two clubs will make up Tuesday’s series-opening postponement with a 4:35 p.m. doubleheader on Thursday comprising two seven-inning games. Off the field, it will be a Coors Light Thirsty Thursday, featuring $2 domestic drafts and $5 craft drafts. For ticket information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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