Colon throws four-hit shutout in 5-0 win

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A small, handmade sign hung over the railing in right-centerfield proclaiming some fans' thoughts about the pitching matchup.

It read: "King of the Hill," a reference to Oakland starter Trevor Cahill, to this point the ace of a strong A's rotation.

But Bartolo Colon overthrew Cahill Monday afternoon, seizing the throne for a day with a 5-0 complete-game victory in front of 35,067 at Overstock.com Coliseum.

Colon (3-3, 3.26), who turned 38 last Tuesday, allowed four hits and no walks and struck out six. He needed only 103 pitches, 71 of which were strikes, in his first shutout since July 5, 2006, at Seattle when he was with the Angels.

And absolutely, the complete game was important to him, as a quick conversation with Joe Girardi showed after the eighth. "He told me he had two more in him," Girardi said with a laugh. "I said, 'Well, I don't want to go two more. I want this to be it.' "

With a man on third and one out in the ninth, Colon preserved his shutout by inducing a foul pop and a fly to left. "It means a lot to me,'' he said, "and I thank the manager for letting me pitch the ninth inning."

Cahill (6-3) -- whose ERA increased from 2.02 to 2.31 in his 62/3-inning outing -- recovered after a rough first inning in which the Yankees gave Colon a 3-0 lead. Derek Jeter singled on the game's second pitch -- career hit No. 2,981 -- and after Curtis Granderson flied out to deep rightfield, Mark Teixeira ripped Cahill's 1-and-2 pitch deep to right-center for his 16th homer of the season, tying Granderson for the team lead.

It was Teixeira's fourth homer in the last five games and seventh in the last 11. He has 16 RBIs in the 11 games and 38 for the season. Robinson Cano's RBI double made it 3-0.

That was plenty for Colon, who allowed Girardi to spare his relievers for a second straight game. The bullpen was on fumes after heavy use Friday and Saturday night in Seattle, but CC Sabathia pitched eight innings Sunday and Colon needed no relief at all.

It has reached the point in the clubhouse that the surprise element regarding the righthander, signed to a minor-league deal in the offseason, has disappeared.

"He's been doing it since, what, the middle of February?'' Jeter said. "No, it's not surprising anymore."

The surprise, Teixeira said, "is when he gives up hits, because he's been throwing the ball so well."

Colon believes he's a better pitcher now than when he came up and was mostly a power pitcher. "His ball moves a little bit more now," said Jeter, who had a sacrifice fly in the seventh. "When he first came up, he reared back and threw 100 mph and was pretty straight. Now his ball is moving all over the place."

The question, of course, surrounds Colon's durability because of his recent history of injuries. It hasn't been a problem to this point, and Monday -- as was the case in the pitcher's prime -- his velocity stayed consistent throughout.

Colon struck out the second batter he faced, Daric Barton, looking at a 95-mph fastball. David DeJesus, the game's final batter, flied out softly to left on a 95-mph fastball.

"I feel really good," Colon said. "I thank God I'm healthy and I'm helping the team to win. I feel really strong physically and mentally right now."

Girardi said he'll continue to keep an eye on Colon, but beyond that, he's just enjoying the ride. "You have to be careful," he said, "but there's nothing where we've seen his stuff drop off. None of us really know. But there's nothing that tells me he can't continue to do this."