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Former Knights Lead A's to 5-3 Win Wednesday

White Sox Battle Late, Head to Winner-Take-All Game Three
Marcus Semien launched a two-run home run in the second inning off Chicago RHP Dallas Keuchel. (Buren Foster/Charlotte Knights)
September 30, 2020

(OAKLAND, CA) -- RHP Chris Bassitt and shortstop Marcus Semien -- both former Charlotte Knights -- led the Oakland Athletics to a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in game two of the 2020 American League Wild Card Series from the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA. With

(OAKLAND, CA) -- RHP Chris Bassitt and shortstop Marcus Semien -- both former Charlotte Knights -- led the Oakland Athletics to a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in game two of the 2020 American League Wild Card Series from the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA. With the win, the A's evened up the best-of-three series and forced a deciding game three on Thursday.

Bassitt (1-0, 1.29) started for the A's and allowed just one run over seven innings to notch the game two victory. He walked one batter and struck-out five. Bassitt, who was drafted by the White Sox in the 16th round of the 2011 June Amateur Draft, was a brief member of the Knights in 2014.

On August 30, 2014, Bassitt was optioned to the Knights from the White Sox after making his major league debut earlier in the day. On September 2, the Toledo, OH native was recalled by the White Sox and never appeared in a game with the team. He was traded, along with Semien, to the A's that December in a deal for RHP Jeff Samardzija.

After winning game one on Tuesday by a score of 4-1, the White Sox handed the ball to LHP Dallas Keuchel in game two on Wednesday. The A's jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning against Keuchel and the White Sox on a costly error by second baseman Nick Madrigal. One inning later, Semien launched a two-run home run against his former organization to make it a 4-0 ballgame. In the fourth, Kris Davis added a solo home run to make it a 5-0 lead for the A's.

Down by a score of 5-0 in the eighth inning, White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal launched a two-run home run -- his second in as many days -- to put the White Sox on the 'board. One inning later, the White Sox continued to battle and loaded the bases in the inning against reliever Jake Diekman.

Grandal, who homered earlier in the game, scored Chicago's third and final run of the game when he drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. The White Sox threatened to score more runs in the frame with the bases loaded but José Abreu grounded out to second base to end the game.

Keuchel (0-1, 8.10 was saddled with the loss after he allowed five runs (three earned) over just 3.1 innings pitched. Three Chicago relievers combined to keep the A's scoreless over the final 4.2 innings.

The White Sox and A's will now meet one final time on Thursday with the winning team moving on to the American League Division Series. First pitch is set for 3:10 PM ET from Oakland, CA.

KNIGHTS KNOTES
Tim Anderson
went 3-for-5 with a run scored. He's 6-for-9 with two runs scored over the first two games of the series... Nick Madrigal added two hits and a run scored... Dylan Cease came out of the bullpen for the White Sox on Wednesday and tossed a scoreless inning... Jimmy Cordero, who also spent time with the Knights in 2019 along with Madrigal and Cease, tossed a scoreless inning for the White Sox on Wednesday.