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OAKLAND, Calif. — A phone call made from Tony Pena to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has turned into the steal of the offseason.
Pena, the Yankees’ bench coach, managed Bartolo Colon in the Dominican Winter League and recommended the Yankees, after not landing free agent Cliff Lee and watching Andy Pettitte retire, bring the veteran right-hander to spring training knowing that arm problems had kept him out of the big leagues last season.
Figuring there was nothing to lose because the investment was minimal by Yankees’ standards, the club invited Colon to spring training and placed him in the mix for a rotation spot.
Yesterday, Colon pitched the Yankees to a complete-game 5-0 victory over the A’s in front of 35,067 at the Coliseum. Combined with the Red Sox’s 7-3 loss to the White Sox last night, the win pushed the Yankees back into a first place in the AL East. At 29-23, the Bombers are .002 ahead of Boston (30-24).
For a team that has a $200-plus million payroll, the $900,000 investment in Colon is off-the-rack shopping. But Colon, who took over Phil Hughes’s spot in the rotation, has brought more than anyone could have imagined in February.
“I am not surprised anymore,” Derek Jeter said of Colon. “He dominated in spring training.”
Coming off his worst outing of the season in which he allowed six runs and seven hits in six innings to the Blue Jays, Colon (3-3) allowed four hits, struck out four, did not walk a batter and required 103 pitches to post his ninth career shutout and first since 2006.
He allowed a leadoff double to Josh Willingham in the second inning, a leadoff single by Kevin Kouzmanoff in the sixth, an infield single to Kurt Suzuki to start the eighth and a double to Cliff Pennington that opened the ninth. In between the first and second hits, Colon retired 12 straight.
The 38-year-old, who has a 3.26 ERA, won for the first time since April 27.
“It meant a lot to me,” Colon said of manager Joe Girardi allowing him to finish.
Mark Teixeira supplied Colon with an early cushion when he planted a two-run homer, his 16th of the season, into the right-field seats off starter Trevor Cahill (6-3) in the first inning. Robinson Cano added an RBI double later in the frame.
Jeter, who went 1-for-3 and is 19 shy of 3,000 for his career, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and the Yankees added a run in the ninth on Francisco Cervelli’s sac fly to right.
Colon is part of an MLB investigation into a doctor who used a stem cell procedure on the pitcher’s right arm last April, because the doctor has administered human growth hormone to patients. The doctor said he never gave Colon HGH. Several pitchers are looking into the procedure, and with the way Colon is throwing — he was throwing 94 mph in the ninth inning — more will be on the way.
According to Girardi, Colon told him at the end of the eighth that he had “two more” innings left. Of course, only one was required.
Colon’s complete game followed CC Sabathia’s eight-inning outing Sunday, so Girardi was able to give his primary relievers two days of much-needed rest.
“I feel pretty good,” said Colon, who held the A’s hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position. “Thank God I am healthy and helping the team win.”
The question is: How far can Colon take this magic carpet ride?
Considering their history and age, some believe the Yankees should be grateful for the two strong months Colon and Freddy Garcia have provided. Others believe that Garcia is no bigger health risk than any other pitcher.
Girardi is aware of Colon’s health and gave him an extra day of rest this time through the rotation. He will get another extra day the next time he pitches because Thursday is a day off for the Yankees.
“You have to be careful, but we have not seen his stuff drop off,” Girardi said.