OAKLAND -- Cole Irvin is on a quest for his first complete game as a big leaguer. Though it didn’t happen on Monday, his performance gave further signs that a full nine-inning effort could happen sooner rather than later for the lefty.

Continuing his summer of dominance, Irvin dazzled in Monday night's 1-0 loss to the Angels at the Coliseum, firing eight innings of one-run ball. Shaking off a solo home run allowed to Luis Rengifo in the first, Irvin locked back in and proceeded to fire seven shutout innings, retiring his final seven batters faced.

“For Cole, again, he goes out and dominates a game,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “One mistake in the first inning and goes seven scoreless after that. He continues to be aggressive. He continues to use his fastball and pitch with that bulldog mentality.”

Irvin has flirted with going the distance on a few occasions, now having pitched into the eighth inning on three occasions. His ability to go deep stems from supreme command of his fastball, which was on display against the Halos as he struck out six batters and did not issue a walk for the fifth time in 20 starts this season.

That fastball was enhanced Monday by an uptick in velocity. Five of Irvin’s punchouts came on the heater, which maxed out at 94.1 mph and averaged 91.9 mph for the night -- 1.3 mph above his season average (90.6 mph).

“Fastball had a little more life to it today than the past few games, so that was fun to throw,” Irvin said. “Slider had a little more jump, too. All in all, it was just a good pitch mix and good plan with [catcher Sean Murphy].”

While “Swirvin’ Irvin” is the nickname he was given before joining the A’s due to a reputation for wicked movement on his pitches, the southpaw is earning a new nickname in “Coliseum Cole," stemming from his mastery when pitching in Oakland. Lowering his ERA in Oakland to 1.66 in 11 starts, he owns the lowest home ERA of any American League starter and the third-lowest in the Majors.

Home or road, Irvin seems to deliver quality performances anywhere these days, now holding the ninth-lowest overall ERA (2.92) in the AL. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts dating back to July 4. Over that stretch, he’s posted a 1.88 ERA and is limiting opponents to a .178 batting average (30-for-169) across 48 innings, stepping up big to fill Oakland’s “ace” role that was recently vacated after the departure of Frankie Montas at the Trade Deadline.

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“He’s made adjustments,” Kotsay said of Irvin’s recent success. “His work ethic off the field has been tremendous. His preparation in between each start, he gets after it. His recovery. His training. His video work. He’s become a student of the game. He reads swings well in-game, which a lot of pitchers can’t do. All those things have led to his emergence as a quality starter.”

Evidenced by his lively fastball, Irvin said he feels like he’s catching his second wind and getting stronger as the season goes along, whereas last year his effectiveness seemed to wear off in the second half. A large part of that durability can be credited to learning how to maintain his body over a full season. Last year, Irvin avoided certain work he should have been doing in between starts. This time around, the 28-year-old has incorporated running and other cardio exercises that he believes have improved his stamina.

“I’m working my tail off in between starts,” Irvin said. “Running more than I have in any season and just making sure my legs are under me. Focused on recovery more. I’m doing things that I maybe shied away from earlier in my career. I’m feeling a little more confident in my routine and that just comes with it. ... I just feel like everything is in sync right now.”

Pulled at 93 pitches upon completion of the eighth inning, Irvin certainly felt like he had enough in the tank for that elusive first complete game. Based on the season he’s having, the way he sees things, it’s only a matter of time before he reaches that goal.

“I’ve had a few good looks at it,” Irvin said. “We’re gonna get there. [Kotsay] made a little joke in the dugout when I came out. He goes, ‘You’re gonna get it at some point.’ I start a game to finish it. I haven’t done that yet at this level, but that’s how I pitch. It’s been drilled into me since I was in high school. I’m just gonna keep my head down and keep putting us in a position to win.”