Colon, Angels Back in Business

The first half has been a lost half for the Angels, too many weeks looking up at too many teams from the bottom of the American League West.

But the Angels might have the last laugh. After Bartolo Colon completed their first sweep of the season Wednesday by pitching his first shutout in four years, a 4-0 victory over Seattle, the Angels flew to Oakland for a four-game series.

If the Angels win them all, they could share first place with the Athletics at the All-Star break, even after spotting their rivals half the season.

“We know how to finish divisions,” pitcher John Lackey said. “We’ve done it the last couple times. Letting us stay in it this long might be a problem for them in the end.”

Robb Quinlan hit a three-run home run and Orlando Cabrera a solo shot as the Angels finished the sweep of the Mariners. Colon, who won 21 games and the Cy Young Award last season, won for the first time this season.

The Angels have won five consecutive games, a season high, cutting three games from their deficit in five days. They’re four games under .500 and in last place, trailing the A’s by four, Texas by 2 1/2 and Seattle by one.

But, with Colon and Jered Weaver back in the rotation and Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar pitching well, the Angels have a potentially dominant starting five. And, with five players not named Vladimir Guerrero or Garret Anderson hitting home runs in this series, they have a hint of offensive depth.

“What gives us optimism, really, is the way we’re getting contributions from everybody in the lineup,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

That helps, of course, but the most significant performance Wednesday was delivered by Colon. In his fourth start since returning from the disabled list, he showed he can win even if his never regains his premium fastball.

“Not having the fastball is an adjustment for me,” Colon said through an interpreter.

After the shoulder surgery he suffered in October, the fastballs that used to buzz in at 95-97 mph now come in at 89-93 mph. But Colon buried the Mariners under an avalanche of sinking fastballs, using movement and precision to more than make up for the loss of velocity.

“It was moving all over the place,” catcher Mike Napoli said. “He can be effective not pumping it up at 95.”

Colon gave up four hits, none after the fourth inning. He made 91 pitches, striking out two and walking none. He felt good, not only because of the shutout but because of a pregame phone call with his father, who he said is fighting a minor illness. In the conversation, he said, his father calmed him.

Colon pitched two complete games last year, but he said he did not recall his last shutout. That’s understandable, since he pitched the shutout for a team that no longer exists, the Montreal Expos.

The Angels disdained the one-run strategy on Wednesday, to fine effect.

Seattle starter Jamie Moyer matched Colon through four innings. Juan Rivera singled to start the fifth, and Kendry Morales singled as well.

With two on and none out, Scioscia skipped the bunt and let Quinlan, hitting .344 against left-handers this season, swing away.

“I’ve never really bunted a whole lot,” Quinlan said.

He homered, and the Angels led, 3-0.

Cabrera homered in the fifth too, with a ball that cleared the wall, then bounded in and out of the glove of leaping left fielder Raul Ibanez.

The home run extended Cabrera’s streak of reaching base in consecutive games to 62, the longest in the major leagues since 1949.