MESA, Ariz. -- A's right-hander Kendall Graveman, soon likely to be named the club's Opening Day starter, was superb in his latest Cactus League outing, facing just one over the minimum through six innings in a 2-1 victory over the Padres at Hohokam Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The A's broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh, when Mark Canha notched a leadoff double and scored on Adam Rosales' one-out single.
Graveman retired 17 of his first 18 batters -- Padres infielder Dusty Coleman homered against his former organization with one out in the third -- and his only other base runner, Luis Sardinas, was caught stealing to end the sixth. Graveman struck out six and walked none.
"Kendall was on it today," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "For the most part, just moving his fastball around, whether it was a straight one, or whether it was a sinker."
The Padres countered with Luis Perdomo, who is competing for a job in the rotation, and the right-hander delivered five innings of one-run ball, yielding three hits with three walks and three strikeouts, his lone run the result of a wild pitch.
"I don't think he's quite as sharp as we'd like to see him right now, didn't see the sink as much as we could," Padres manager Andy Green said of the 23-year-old right-hander. "But the great thing about him is that where he was this time last year, if he struggled to find his stuff as much as he did today, he'd probably give up six runs in two innings. He's learned to battle through regardless of what he has."
A's reliever Ryan Dull followed Graveman and pitched a perfect seventh, and Frankie Montas closed it out with scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
Padres Up Next:Jarred Cosart will make the start in the Padres' Cactus League game against the Reds at 1:10 p.m. Sunday at Peoria Stadium on MLB.TV. Cosart is on the bubble for a rotation spot but could be an option for the bullpen. Catcher Austin Hedges is likely to be back behind the plate, and position players William Myers, Travis Jankowski and Hunter Renfroe could be back in the lineup after all getting Saturday off.
A's Up Next: The A's will trek to Salt River Fields on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. PT meeting with the host Rockies. Right-hander Jesse Hahn, battling for a spot in Oakland's Opening Day rotation, will be on the mound, and right-handers Santiago Casilla and Liam Hendriks are also scheduled to pitch in the game.
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