Orioles' Chris Bassitt drilled by line drive against Pirates

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Orioles' Chris Bassitt drilled by line drive in rough outing vs. Pirates

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 5, 2026 5:22 PM ET

Somebody better give Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Chris Bassitt an ice pack after Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 37-year-old pitcher endured a painful outing at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Ball drilled Chris Bassitt in game against Pirates

In the top of the second inning of Sunday's game, Bassitt hurled a 91 mph sinker to Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz with the bases loaded and no outs. The ball then flew off his bat at 111.8 mph and nailed the starting pitcher in the back. The umpire stopped the play after Cruz reached first base, and first baseman Spencer Horwitz scored.

Surprisingly, Bassitt stayed in the game, but he should've considered going to the dugout instead. To add insult to injury, the Pirates subsequently scored three more runs. Baltimore pulled him for relief pitcher Cade Povich at the top of the third inning. In two innings pitched, the right-handed pitcher allowed six runs (including a homer) and struck out zero batters. He threw 32 strikes on 62 pitches.

RUN: Oneil Cruz lines one 111.8 mph off Chris Bassitt. It stays in the infield, but all runners advance 90 feet. Bases remain loaded with nobody out. Pirates, 3-0-- From Chris Halicke in Pittsburghpic.twitter.com/n8TVJIrkkL
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPghSports) April 5, 2026

The Pirates crushed the Orioles 8-2, completing the three-game sweep. Pittsburgh (6-3) has now won five straight games. Baltimore (3-6), meanwhile, is off to a rocky start. Entering Sunday, it was fourth in the American League East ahead of the Boston Red Sox (2-7).

The Orioles will begin a three-game stretch on the road against the Chicago White Sox on Monday (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV). Baltimore has yet to name a starting pitcher for the matchup, but it shouldn't be Bassitt. He needs a break after pitching two straight games in Pittsburgh, which would give him more time to recover from any bruises he suffered on Sunday.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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