Colon Makes Quick Work of Athletics in Complete-Game Shutout
Since Bartolo Colon last pitched here in September 2007, the stadium has changed names twice, but its features have remained the same. The roomy dimensions and acres of foul territory reward pitchers unafraid of contact, encouraging them to throw strikes. And one thing that Colon can do, has done, is throw strikes. Colon dismantled the Oakland Athletics in a 5-0 complete-game victory Monday at Overstock.com Coliseum, throwing strikes at their knees, on the corners of the plate and everywhere in between. If Colon was unafraid of contact, so were the Athletics, who struck out six times and hit the ball hard about once every hour. In his first start since turning 38, Colon retired 23 of his first 26 hitters, allowing four hits while pitching his first complete-game shutout since July 5, air max 2011 2006, in Seattle. After going more than two years and an American League-record 341 games without a nine-inning complete game, the Yankees have now pitched two in less than a week. For Colon, who followed C.C. Sabathia’s effort from last Tuesday against Toronto, it was the 32nd complete game of his career, snapping a tie with Sabathia and evening him with Tim Wakefield of Boston for third-most among active pitchers. A pitchers’ duel developed after the first inning, when the Yankees scored three runs off Trevor Cahill, who fell to 0-3 with a 9.72 earned run average in three starts against them. On the 16th anniversary of his first career hit, Derek Jeter led off the game with No. 2,981, a sharp liner up the middle. With one out and a 1-2 count to Mark Teixeira, Cahill tried fooling him with a curveball. But the pitch broke down and in, right where left-handed sluggers like it. The ball landed deep in the right-field stands, continuing a power surge by Teixeira that began May 19 in Baltimore. In his last 11 games, Teixeira has hit seven homers, running his season total to 16, tying him with Curtis Granderson for the team lead. The quick strike may have unnerved Cahill, who walked Alex Rodriguez on four pitches before grooving a changeup that Robinson Cano drilled into the gap in right-center. Rodriguez scored, putting the Yankees ahead, 3-0, but poor baserunning by Cano, who was thrown out after taking a wide turn at second, killed the rally. Cahill settled in, retiring 17 of his next 20 batters before issuing consecutive one-out walks in the seventh to Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli, catching in place of Russell Martin, who was scratched about an hour before the game because of a sore left big toe. They pulled off a double steal, and that aggressiveness led to a run, when a sacrifice fly by Jeter knocked in Gardner to extend the Yankees’ lead to 4-0.