OAKLAND, Calif. – Clayton Richard pitched into the eighth inning for his second consecutive win and the San Diego Padres beat the Oakland Athletics 2-1 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Everth Cabrera scored on a groundout in the second and the Padres tacked on an insurance run in the ninth to salvage the finale of their nine-game road trip. San Diego is still 19 games under .500 and last in the NL West.
Richard (4-7) scattered five singles over 7 2-3 innings. Huston Street got four outs for his eighth save in eight chances.
Jonny Gomes had three hits for the A's, who had won a season-high five straight. Bartolo Colon (6-7) left after 30 pitches with a strained muscle on his right side, forcing manager Bob Melvin to reach deep into his bullpen.
San Diego continued to sputter on offense and again wasted multiple scoring opportunities. This time the Padres had enough pitching to overcome it.
Oakland had two runners on in the second, fourth and sixth but Richard worked out of trouble each time to win for the second time in eight road starts this season.
Richard struck out six and walked two. He was pulled after giving up Gomes' third hit.
Street, the former Oakland closer, struck out Brandon Inge to end the eighth and had to pitch of a jam in the ninth after giving up an RBI single to Coco Crisp. Street got out of it by striking out Jemile Weeks with a runner on third.
It was a tough afternoon all around for the A's.
After scoring 42 runs in the previous five games, Oakland managed only one — and might have lost another starting pitcher to injury.
Colon pitched two hitless innings before allowing Cabrera's single in the third. Alexi Amarista followed with a sacrifice bunt that Colon fielded cleanly, but the pitcher threw wildly to first base, allowing Amarista to reach second while Cabrera raced to third.
As Colon walked back to the mound, Melvin and a team trainer came out to meet him. Following a brief discussion, Colon was removed from the game and replaced by Pedro Figueroa.
San Diego added an insurance run in the ninth when pinch-runner Logan Forsythe scored on a wild pitch by Oakland reliever Ryan Cook. Forsythe was running for Carlos Quentin, who doubled leading off the inning.
NOTES: Before the game, the A's optioned RHP Tyson Ross back to the minors, one day after his spot start against San Diego. ... Quentin has been hit by pitches five times in 16 games this season, but San Diego manager Bud Black doesn't think teams are intentionally throwing at the outfielder. ... The A's have an off day Monday and will send RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-3) to the mound for the opener of a three-game series with the Angels on Tuesday. ... RHP Jason Marquis (1-1) will make his third start for San Diego when the Padres return home Monday to host Texas.
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