OAKLAND — Make it two 50-game suspensions in exactly one week - both starters for contending teams from the Bay Area, both for testosterone.
Former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon of the Oakland Athletics was suspended for 50 games Wednesday after a positive test, joining San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera on the suspended list for the rest of the regular season.
Major League Baseball made the announcement of Colon’s penalty a week after All-Star game MVP Cabrera received his 50-game suspension
“I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A’s,” Colon said in a statement released by the players’ association. “I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program.”
He will miss the final 40 games of the regular season and the first 10 games of the postseason if Oakland advances that far. Any remainder of the suspension would be served in a future season, if Colon signs another major league contract.
“It’s a shock,” Oakland reliever Grant Balfour said. “He’s a guy that we’re definitely relying on right now. I guess you could say it’s bad timing any time, but especially now.”
Colon, 39, is 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts this season, his first with the A’s, and has a 171-122 record in 15 big league seasons. A two-time All-Star, the burly right-hander won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award after going 21-8 for the Los Angeles Angels.
Oakland, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006, began Wednesday a half-game out in the AL wildcard race. The A’s were preparing for an afternoon series finale against Minnesota when they got the news from clubhouse televisions.
“The Oakland Athletics are disappointed to learn of today’s suspension,” the team said in a statement.
Starter Brandon McCarthy took that a little further.
“You can say someone’s a good teammate, but it has to extend in all facets,” McCarthy said after a 5-1 victory. “Off the field, on the field and how you are in the clubhouse, no matter how look at it, we’ve now lost a really important part of our team to his actions.”
General Manager Billy Beane received word from MLB earlier Wednesday and began searching for a starter to take Colon’s turn in the rotation today at Tampa Bay. TysonRoss will be called up from Triple-A Sacramento. Ross arrived to the Coliseum and moved into Colon’s locker.
“It shocked all of us just the fact someone got caught for that,” Ross said.
Beane addressed the A’s in the clubhouse before the team took the field for pregame warmups.
“Listen, it’s disappointing. From a baseball standpoint, we’re scrambling,” Beane said. “We’re all disappointed, not just for the Giants and the A’s, but for baseball.”
Colon will lose the remaining $469,945 of his $2 million base salary this year. He also has earned $750,000 in performance bonuses based on starts and $150,000 based on innings, which are not impacted. Today’s start would have earned him another $250,000, and the suspension will cost him the chance to make $850,000 in additional bonuses based on innings.
In Wednesday’s game, Coco Crisp homered, hit an RBI double and scored three runs, in leading theAthletics past Minnesota.
Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead two-run single in the third inning that held up for Tommy Milone, and Crisp also singled and stole his 28th base.
Milone (10-9) allowed one runand two hits, struck out five and walked one in eight impressive innings to end a five-start winless stretch in which he had gone 0-3 since his last victory, a 9-3 decision at Minnesota on July 14.
MARINERS 3, INDIANS 1 Eric Thames hit a tiebreaking two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning, and host Seattle beat Cleveland for its eighth consecutive victory.
RAYS 5, ROYALS 3 James Shields (12-7) allowed 3 runs and 5 hits in 7 2/3 innings, leading host Tampa Bay over Kansas City.
ANGELS 7, RED SOX 3 Jered Weaver rebounded from a rough start by pitching seven solid innings, and visiting Los Angeles beat Boston.
RANGERS 12, ORIOLES 3 Adrian Beltre hit three home runs, including two in a nine-run fourth inning, and had five RBI as Texas defeated Baltimore.
TIGERS 3, BLUE JAYS 2 Anibal Sanchez pitched effectively into the seventh inning, and host Detroit held on to beat Toronto. Sanchez (2-3) allowed 1 earned run and 5 hits in 6 2/3 innings.
WHITE SOX 2, YANKEES 1 Chris Sale (15-4) struck out 13 in 7 2/3 innings to get his 15th victory, Alex Rios hit a go-ahead home run and host Chicago beat New York.
National League BREWERS 3, CUBS 2 Ryan Braun hit his NL-leading 34th home run, Yovani Gallardo (13-8) pitched seven strong innings and host Milwaukee completed a sweep of Chicago.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, MARLINS 2 Tyler Skaggs, a 21-year-old left-hander, allowed three hits through 6 2/3 innings, pitching host Arizona to a victory over Miami.
BRAVES 5 NATIONALS 1 Kris Medlen (5-1) pitched seven shutout innings in his latest winning performance and Martin Prado’s two-run double proved decisive to help the Braves in a victory over host Washington.
CARDINALS 4, ASTROS 2 Kyle Lohse (13-2) pitched allowed three hits in seven innings to earn his seventh consecutive victory and host St. Louis beat Houston.
PADRES 4, PIRATES 2 Andrew Werner allowed two runs over six-plus innings in his major league debut and Carlos Quentin drove in three runs, leading host San Diego to a victory over Pittsburgh.
REDS 3, PHILLIES 2 Bronson Arroyo (10-7) allowed three hits in eight-plus innings, and Jay Bruce homered to lead visiting Cincinnati to a victory over Philadelphia.
ROCKIES 5, METS 2 Wilin Rosario hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning, and visiting Colorado beat the New York.
Wednesday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Milwaukee 3, Chicago Cubs 2 Arizona 3, Miami 2
First game of doubleheader
Second game late San Diego 4, Pittsburgh 2 Atlanta 5, Washington 1 Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 2 Colorado 5, NY Mets 2 St. Louis 4, Houston 2 San Francisco at LA Dodgers, (n) AMERICAN LEAGUE Tampa Bay 5, Kansas City 3 Oakland 5, Minnesota 1 Seattle 3, Cleveland 1 Detroit 3, Toronto 2 LA Angels 7, Boston 3 Texas 12, Baltimore 3 Chicago White Sox 2, NY Yankees 1
Sports, Pages 17 on 08/23/2012