Colon throws 4 no-hit innings in rehab

PAWTUCKET, R.I.—Boston Red right-hander Bartolo Colon threw four no-hit, scoreless innings during a rehabilitation start Thursday night for Triple A Pawtucket.

Colon, who's been on Boston's disabled list since June 17 with a lower-back sprain, walked two, struck out two and threw 23 of 40 pitches for strikes. Pawtucket defeated Syracuse 8-3.

"I thought his velocity's getting back up to where it was," Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said. "He's not there yet as compared with where he was when he was with us early in the year. But that's to be expected because he hasn't been out there that many times. He just looked crisp to me."

He topped out at 90 mph on the radar gun, consistently threw in the 88-89 mph range and allowed only one hard-hit ball.

After Wayne Lydon and Curtis Thigpen were retired on first-inning groundballs to second, Buck Coats lined a 2-1 pitch to right-center that Sean Danielson caught on the warning track before crashing into the fence.

Despite the walks, Colon exhibited command and control especially on his strikeouts. He caught both Kevin Merillo and Russ Adams looking at third-strike fastballs on the inside corner.

"He was throwing pitches on both sides of the plate for strikes," catcher George Kottaras said. "He was very confident with his pitches, threw a lot of pitches for strikes and came right after the hitters."

Colon faced only one batter over the minimum. He induced Lydon to ground into a third-inning double play.

Colon pitched only one inning in his previous rehab start Aug. 15 because of a stomach ailment. He didn't show any residual affects, worked quickly, and recorded seven outs on groundballs.

In four starts on his current rehab assignment, Colon is 0-1 with a 3.10 ERA, three walks and six strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.

Johnson said the former American League Cy Young winner will make another rehab start on Tuesday at Lehigh Valley and will increase his pitch count to five or six innings and 60-65 pitches.