Colon aims for 15th win versus Blue Jays
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oakland righty Bartolo Colon goes after his 15th win of the season on Wednesday when the Athletics play the rubber match of their three- game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at O.co Coliseum.
Colon, though, could be making his final start of the year as well, as his involvement in the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal has led some to speculate that a suspension may be imminent.
Of course, Colon was suspended for 50 games back in 2011 for PEDs and could be facing a 100-game ban this time around.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Still, the former AL Cy Young Award winner has been tremendous for the A's this season, going 14-3 with a 2.54 ERA. He won his third straight decision on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as he held them to a pair of runs in six innings.
Colon has pitched to a 1.70 ERA over his last 14 starts, has gone at least six innings and has given up no more than three runs in those outings.
That streak ties him with Dan Haren for the longest in A's history since 1916.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It feels like every time he goes out there, we're in a very good position to get the win," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "What you look for in a starter is someone who can give you a chance to win every time and not only does he give us that, he gives us the confidence that we are going to win every time, so he takes it a little further for us."
Colon has faced the Blue Jays 24 times and 10-5 against them with a 4.12 ERA.
Toronto, meanwhile, will counter with a Cy Young Award winner of its own in knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who is 8-11 this year with a 4.86 ERA. Dickey did not get a decision on Friday against hapless Houston, but did not pitch well, as he allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings of a 12-6 win.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dickey is just 1-4 lifetime versus the A's with a 5.65 ERA in 12 games (8 starts).
After losing Monday's opener, Toronto put an end to Oakland's four-game winning streak on Tuesday, as Jose Bautista hit his 25th home run of the season and Mark Buehrle threw seven shutout innings in the Blue Jays' 5-0 triumph.
Buehrle (7-7) scattered five hits and struck out two in his outing. The 34- year-old lefty was coming off a two-hit shutout against the Astros on Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Emilio Bonifacio also had a home run while Colby Rasmus provided an RBI for the Blue Jays, who have won four of six.
Dan Straily (6-5) gave up all five runs -- two earned -- on six hits and a pair of walks for the Athletics, who saw their lead atop the AL West sliced down to five games with Texas' win against the Angels.
Oakland took five of nine from the Jays last season.