Gregor: Bassitt impressive in second start with Sox

Looking ahead to 2015, the White Sox are going to be loaded with left-handed starting pitchers.

They have ace Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and John Danks, while top draft pick Carlos Rodon also figures to squeeze his way into the rotation.

A change or two might be coming in the off-season, but the Sox are definitely going to need a right-handed starter or two.

Pulled off the scrap heap in April, Hector Noesi has made a strong case for a job, and Chris Bassitt made the most of his audition Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

In the White Sox' 2-1 victory over Oakland, Bassitt pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks.

"Just the game he pitched, it just shows his composure," manager Robin Ventura said. "For his age (25), to come up here, throw strikes, go against a team that's very much scrambling to get in the playoffs, tough lineup, too, I thought he threw great.

"Again, the composure he had out there, even getting in a couple situations he was able to just continue to throw strikes and get after the strike zone."

Bassitt made his first start for the Sox on Aug. 30 against the Detroit Tigers, and he took the loss after giving up 5 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks in 6⅓ innings.

"Oh yeah, a lot less nerves, a lot less anxiety," Bassitt said of Wednesday's outing. "I felt like in the first start, I blew it out in the first 2 innings and was pretty tired after that. It was back to normal baseball in this start."

Bassitt credited pitching coach Don Cooper for his success against Oakland, especially facing a lineup stacked with left-handed hitters.

"I put a lot on Coop's hands," Bassitt said. "We've really been working hard on lefties, changing my approach on lefties. It's pretty much going to be live or die how much I throw inside to lefties. That was the key tonight."

As for his future with the White Sox, Bassitt isn't looking too far ahead.

"I didn't expect to come up and just dominate," he said. "I'm going to take my lumps here, I know I'm going to. It's a huge learning curve; it's the big leagues.

"I know there are things I'm really going to have to improve on, and obviously pitching to lefties is going to be one big thing going forward."

Bitter end:

John Danks hasn't won a game since July 25, and the White Sox' left-hander is 0-5 with a 7.00 ERA over his last 8 starts.

It has been a tough August and September for Danks, who has not been the same pitcher since having shoulder surgery in 2012.

"Miserable," he said. "I'm doing my best to have fun and haven't had much fun. The last six weeks, it's no fun to lose, no fun to not even hardly compete.

"I feel like I've had some games that were over in the third, fourth inning. I've been doing my best to just go out and have fun the last 3 or 4r starts and hopefully I'll pick up a couple of wins."