Jun 13 2009
Tim Lincecum beats A’s with arm and bat…
Tim Lincecum single-handedly beats the San Francisco Giants’ Bay Area Rival Oakland A’s with his arm and bat in the 3-0 victory. Lincecum was dominant as he threw a complete game shutout and scattered 7 hits and added 8 strikeouts in the game. It only took Lincecum 110 pitches to finish the game.
With the score deadlocked at 0-0 in the 5th inning, Lincecum came up with the bases loaded and only one out and delivered an RBI single, that turned out to be the game winner, and put the Giants up 1-0. Rowand then delivered the knockout punch with a two-run single to left field passed the diving Orlando Cabrera to put the Giants up 3-0. That proved to be all Lincecum needed as he got strong later in the game only giving up 2 hits in his last four innings of work.
Oakland A’s young rookie starter Vin Mazzaro was outdueled by reigning NL Cy Young Tim Lincecum, but he pitched well in his six innings of work. He carried a no-hitter and his scoreless innings streak since his callup and MLB Debut into the 5th inning, but the Giants scored three runs off Mazzaro, which were the first runs he has allowed in his young big league career. Overall, Mazzaro gave up 6 hits, 3 earned runs and had 4 strikeouts in his outing, but picked up the hard-luck loss. His record fell to 2-1 and his E.R.A went up to 1.37.
Lincecum was the better pitcher on this given night, but Mazzaro wasn’t bad himself.
He didn’t allow a hit until Pablo Sandoval’s leadoff bunt single in the fifth and pitched 17 2/3 scoreless innings to start his career.
“I wasn’t expecting him to bunt. It was a good one though,” Mazzaro said. “You have to expect anything from anybody.”
In the end, though, Lincecum dazzled and came on top in the Giants 3-0 victory. With the win, Lincecum’s record went to 6-1 and his E.R.A. lowered to 2.66.
I guess it looks like this year’s Cy Young at this point in the season is a battle between two Giants pitchers, both just 24 years of age in Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Cain is 8-1 with a 2.55 E.R.A, but Lincecum ranks in the top of the league in strikeouts, innings pitched, and E.R.A.
One thing is for certain, that Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain will most likely be representing the Giants in this year’s All-Star Classic in St. Louis, although centerfielder Aaron Rowand is making a push to make the All-Star Squad. Rowand went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI’s in the game and his numbers for the season are: he is hitting .310Avg. with 6HR and 30RBI and also has 4 stolen bases.
