OAKLAND, Calif.
Wayne Chrebet Jersey . -- Bartolo Colon never
expected to be pitching at age 40, not in the playoffs, and especially not as
the Game 1 starter. And not this well a year after being suspended 50 games for
a positive testosterone test. The veteran right-hander will get the ball for the
Oakland Athletics in the opener of their AL division series against Detroit on
Friday night, his first post-season appearance in eight years. "It means so much
to me. Im 40 years old and never thought Id be here," Colon said in Spanish. "It
is more special, a lot. The first reason is because of the Oakland organization,
and I thank them for bringing me here to pitch another time." A year after Colon
missed the playoffs for the As while serving the suspension, he won 18 games and
is getting another chance on baseballs big stage -- in his first playoff
appearance since 2005 with the Angels. "The things hes done this year, we want
him to have another four, five starts this year," catcher Derek Norris said.
"Everything he gets, he has deserved. A lot of us may have been a little upset
about the suspension, but he came in to spring training and he worked hard. It
was noted that it was done with, we wanted to move on. He came in, worked his
butt off, had one of his best years since his Cy Young year with L.A. and I dont
even think any one of us in here even thinks about that stuff anymore. Hes
proven to us that he made a mistake, he was sorry and he apologized, and he came
back and he earned back his respect throughout baseball and through all of us."
Manager Bob Melvin made the announcement before a workout Tuesday at the
Coliseum, where the grounds crew worked to prepare the field two days after the
NFLs Oakland Raiders played a home game. "Ah, its an easy one, hes been our ace
all season," Melvin said of Colon. "We have that veteran presence thats going to
lead us off we didnt have last year." It sure has been $3 million well spent by
general manager Billy Beane, who gave Colon another chance in 2013. Eight months
ago, Colon apologized to his teammates at the start of spring training, put his
head down and went back to work. "He felt like he needed to do that, and he got
it out of the way early and has been an integral part since," Melvin said. "It
really has felt like since hes been here that he hasnt missed a beat and hes
been here the whole time. Very disappointing for him to miss the end of last
year for the reasons that have been documented, but hes done everything that he
can to be the teammate that he is again. It feels like he was never gone." Colon
went 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA in 30 starts and 190 1-3 innings. He became an
All-Star in his best season since his 21-8 Cy Young Award season of 05. He might
have a couple more wins had he not spent a stint on the disabled list with a
strained groin. "You could tell how it affected him last year and how he missed
out on a chance to be a part of what we did down the stretch," reliever
Sean Doolittle said. "To have a veteran presence like that in your rotation, a
rotation full of young guys, taking the ball every fifth day and you know hes
going to go into the sixth or seventh inning, whenever he pitches, under
whatever circumstances, its almost like you know what youre going to get out of
him. Hes been a really good stabilizer for us all year long." The Game 2 starter
for the AL West champions is rookie Sonny Gray, who will pitch in a ballpark he
knows well with the home crowd behind him Saturday night. A.J. Griffin, a
14-game winner, is out with elbow tendinitis that has become worse as he has
tried to pitch with the problem. He could be added to the roster for the next
round if the As advance. Jarrod Parker will pitch Game 3 in Detroit and
Dan Straily goes in a potential Game 4. "They made the decision," Griffin said.
"Its a bummer. Hopefully I can bounce back from this in the next week or so and
be ready for the next round." Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes said his troublesome
right shoulder has improved "not a lot but some," and he joked he will play the
outfield "even if I have to throw left-handed." Cespedes didnt play the final
two games of the season at Seattle, and could be used as designated hitter if
the shoulder isnt ready. "We just want to make sure hes healthy," Melvin said.
"At the very least, hell be DH-ing." For Colon, this year will be far from his
last as long as he can keep pitching. Then, he will return to New Jersey
full-time with his wife and four children. "As long as I can and my body lets
me," he said. "One year at a time." Colon notes he has "no idea what Id be
doing" if he werent on a pitching mound. And, he doesnt have to be. All of that
will come later. "Right now Im not thinking about it," Colon said. "This is my
job."
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. Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for
the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a
power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished
with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period
that would have tied the game 1-1.MARSEILLE, France -- Top-seeded Richard
Gasquet and defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga both reached the Open 13
quarterfinals with straight-sets wins on Wednesday. After the second-seeded
Tsonga beat Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), his French countryman Gasquet
followed up with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Slovenias Blaz Kavcic. Gasquet did not
face a single break-point and took his opponents serve three times. Earlier, the
second-seeded Tsonga, who had 19 aces, improved to 4-2 in career head-to-heads
against the Russian who reached a career-high ranking of third. Davydenko saved
one match point with a forehand pass down the line, but Tsonga clinched victory
with the next when Davydenkos forehand hit the net. "Its never easy against him,
hes a great player whos won a lot of titles," the 28-year-old Tsonga said. "Im
trying to get my bearings again, which is why I was so happy to win." Tsonga
next plays either sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin of Francce or Ukraines
Sergiy Stakhovsky, while Gasquets quarterfinal opponent is either fifth-seeded
Ivan Dodig of Croatia or Germanys Tobias Kamke.
Bryce Petty Jersey. "I didnt play well last
time (in Rotterdam). But you shouldnt forget that, and use the experience," said
Tsonga, referring to his straight-sets loss to Croat Marin Cilic in the second
round of the ABN Amro tournament. "I absolutely must raise my level." In the
remaining first-round matches on Wednesday, there were wins for seventh-seeded
Julien Benneteau of France, No. 8 Nicolas Mahut of France, Spains Roberto
Bautista Agut, Germanys Jan-Lennard Struff, Frenchman Michael Llodra and
Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania. Benneteau of France won 6-1, 6-4 against Jesse
Huta Galung; Mahut beat Kenny De Schepper 7-6 (2), 6-3; Struff beat David Guez
3-6, 6-1, 6-1; Bautista Agut won 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 against Dustin Brown; Llodra
downed Lukas Lacko 6-3, 7-6 (2), and Berankis led 6-5 when Jan Hajek retired.
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