The A's saw their season-high five-game winning streak end Sunday.
As is often the case with this team, an injury overshadowed the final score.
Starting pitcher Bartolo Colon exited in the third inning of a 2-1 loss to the San Diego Padres after straining his right oblique muscle. Colon charged and fielded a sacrifice bunt from Alexi Amarista, threw wildly to first for an error and then got a visit from A's manager Bob Melvin and the training staff.
Moments later, Colon walked off the mound and was replaced by Pedro Figueroa. Colon said he suffered the injury when he stopped to pick up the ball, and he knew something was wrong immediately.
"Right after, I felt bad," Colon said through interpreter Ariel Prieto.
Colon (6-7) is scheduled for an MRI exam Monday, when the A's are off, and Melvin expected to know more about Colon's condition Tuesday. But oblique injuries often sideline players for extended periods.
Colon, 39, suffered a similar injury to his left oblique while with Cleveland in 2000 that shelved him for 28 days. If that's any gauge, the right-hander is bound for the disabled list.
That would be a blow for the A's, who have been without their other veteran rotation workhorse, Brandon McCarthy, for extended periods because of shoulder problems.
The A's already have placed 11 players on the D.L. this season, compared with just 15 all of last season.
Finishing off their second straight series sweep
would have improved the A's day, but Padres left-hander Clayton Richard (4-7) halted their high-scoring ways.Richard shut them out over 72/3 innings, though the A's rallied in the ninth trailing 2-0.
Coco Crisp's two-out RBI single scored Seth Smith and left runners on the corners. But former A's closer Huston Street, who entered in the eighth, struck out Jemile Weeks on a fastball to end it.
That capped an 0-for-5 day for the second baseman.
"It's disappointing," Weeks said. "I feel like I'm one of the best players out there. To not come through, or at least put the ball in play, is frustrating."
The A's came in batting .291 as a team and averaging 6.4 runs over their previous 14 games.
"(Richard's) ball was running quite a bit," Melvin said. "Obviously, he made some good pitches because going into the game we had a lot of confidence going."
The A's outhit the Padres 6-5 and stayed in the game thanks to excellent work from their bullpen.
Figueroa, recalled from Triple-A Sacramento before the game when Tyson Ross was optioned out, relieved Colon and allowed just one hit over three innings.
The run that San Diego scored in the third on Will Venable's fielder's choice grounder was charged to Colon.
Jim Miller and Jerry Blevins combined for 31/3 scoreless innings, but the Padres scored an important insurance run in the top of the ninth. With a runner on third and one out, Melvin called on Ryan Cook to relieve Blevins.
Cook got Cameron Maybin looking, but then he bounced a wild pitch that allowed pinch runner Logan Forsythe to score and make it 2-0. It was the first inherited runner to score off Cook this season.
The A's (31-36), who fell nine games behind American League West-leading Texas, host the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series beginning Tuesday and then host the Giants in the second round of the Bay Bridge Series.
The Dodgers are a major league-best 42-25.
- Should Colon go on the D.L., Melvin confirmed that Ross could fill his rotation spot. Players who get optioned are required to spend a minimum of 10 days in the minors, but they can return sooner to replace an injured player.
Ross made a spot start Saturday in place of McCarthy -- who is expected to rejoin the rotation Tuesday -- and Melvin said Ross made it tough to send him down considering his impressive six-inning start. Ross gave up two runs and one hit, walking four and striking out six.
"He did a lot of things we wanted him to work on," Melvin said. "Maybe his ball/strike ratio wasn't his best, but certainly the performance ended up being great."
- Melvin said Yoenis Cespedes is making progress from his strained left hamstring but that the A's will wait to see how he's doing Tuesday before determining if he's ready to play that night.
- Sunday's fan giveaway was a Coco Crisp Chia Pet. To commemorate the event, outfielder Josh Reddick took the field for batting practice wearing a No. 4 Crisp jersey and a giant Afro wig. Crisp often sported the same hairstyle last season.
Reddick stood behind the batting cage right next to Crisp but took off the wig before entering the cage to hit.
In a more serious gesture, Jonny Gomes wore combat boots during batting practice to honor fathers in the military on Father's Day.
- Reliever Jordan Norberto (shoulder strain) threw from the mound for the second time Sunday, and the tentative plan is for him to make one rehab appearance before coming off the D.L.
Tuesday's game
L.A. Dodgers (Aaron Harang 5-3) at A's (Brandon McCarthy 5-3), 7:05 p.m. CSNCA
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