Major League Baseball

Athletics 3, White Sox 0

Published Jun. 1, 2013 6:39 a.m. ET

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Bartolo Colon watched Alex Rios' foul pop fall into first baseman Brandon Moss' mitt, looked back at his catcher and started the ceremonial high-five line that follows most victories.

Been there, done that.

At this point in Colon's career, no need for excessive celebration.

Colon tossed a five-hitter a week after turning 40, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox 3-0 on Friday night in a game that took only 2 hours, 14 minutes.

''I feel proud to pitch the way that I did,'' Colon said in Spanish.

Colon (6-2) struck out and three and walked none for his 11th career shutout. He has 34 complete games, third-most among active pitchers behind Roy Halladay (67) and CC Sabathia (35).

He also became the first American League pitcher with a shutout after age 40 since Boston's Curt Schilling won 1-0 at Oakland on June 7, 2007, according to the A's.

''There's still a little something in the tank,'' said A's manager Bob Melvin, who never had a reliever throwing in the bullpen. ''He's always out to prove that he can be a successful pitcher at the major league level and he can still pitch as a power pitcher, which he does. He'll never tell you that, but the reason that he's had the lengthy career that he's had is that he never lets down.''

John Jaso was the first baserunner for either team to reach second when he doubled against Dylan Axelrod (3-4) leading off the eighth inning. Josh Reddick followed with an RBI double after coming off the disabled list before the game, and Coco Crisp added a two-run single to back Colon's stellar start.

Jaso said he realized Colon's control was especially on target when he kept calling for the one spot on the pitching report not to throw to slugger Adam Dunn - on the outer half of the plate - and it worked so well.

''It just showed the movement on his ball,'' Jaso said. ''The guy's eyes would light up because that's his pitch to hit, then it moves off the plate, but he's already committed to it.''

It was Colon's first nine-inning shutout since leading the Yankees past the A's 5-0 on May 30, 2011. He also pitched a rain-shortened three-hitter over seven innings against Boston on April 23.

Colon, who received a 50-game suspension for a positive testosterone test last August and missed the playoffs for the AL West champions, looked as spry as ever on the mound in front of an announced crowd of 16,416 at the Oakland Coliseum.

While the A's struggled at the plate, Colon continued to pound the strike zone and challenge hitters. He threw 106 pitches - 77 for strikes - and hasn't walked a batter in eight of his 11 starts this season.

''He's a good one and it was fun,'' Axelrod said. ''It seemed like both of us didn't have much rest on the benches. It was fun. He was out there for a few and then I was out there. I can't ask for anything more. It was just one of those things at the end there.''

For a while, it appeared the A's might not give Colon any support.

Axelrod retired his first eight batters until Eric Sogard's single to right. Then he set down the next 12 before Seth Smith's two-out single in the seventh.

Axelrod and Colon each relied on their defense, too, for several spectacular plays.

Sogard backhanded a hard-hit grounder up the middle in the seventh and tossed the ball to shortstop Jed Lowrie, who fired it to first to complete a double play. Lowrie led off the top of the inning with a deep fly to right field, where Rios ran underneath the ball for a catch near the top of the wall.

Reddick showed off the defensive skills that won him a Gold Glove last year when he made a running basket catch near the foul line for the first out of the eighth. Then he followed with his first hit since coming back, easily the biggest of the night.

Axelrod, who had won his last three starts, was replaced by Matt Thornton following Reddick's double. Axelrod gave up four hits and struck out seven in seven-plus innings, walking slowly to the White Sox dugout afterward, sitting on the bench and putting his hands over his head.

All the 27-year-old could do was marvel at Colon.

''He's doing everything he did for us last year - throwing strikes and making contact where he can get outs,'' Reddick said. ''Tonight it worked out really well for him.''

NOTES: A's opening day starter Brett Anderson, on the DL since May 1 with a stress fracture in his right foot, played catch from one knee before the game. Anderson is still walking around in a boot. ... White Sox 2B Gordon Beckham made his second consecutive rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte. He went 1 for 5 and singled home the winning run in the ninth inning for a 3-2 win over Rochester. ... Dan Straily (3-2, 5.08 ERA) starts for the A's opposite White Sox lefty Jose Quintana (3-2, 3.75 ERA) in the middle game of the series Saturday.

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