Lincecum 2-hits Cards as Giants win 10-0
June 29, 2009
ST. LOUIS (AP)—Tim Lincecum(notes) looked ready for a return trip to Busch Stadium intwo weeks for the All-Star game. The St. Louis Cardinals could not touch him.
Lincecum threw a two-hitter for his third complete game of the season, allin his last four starts, in the San Francisco Giants’ 10-0 rout Monday night.Travis Ishikawa’s(notes) three-run homer for a 4-0 lead in the fourth was way more thanthe right-hander needed .
“The way Timmy’s been pitching lately, after the first run I felt prettycomfortable,” Ishikawa said.
Lincecum (8-2) is tied with teammate Matt Cain(notes) for the league lead incomplete games and his 2.37 ERA is second in the NL after mastering thepunchless Cardinals with his third career shutout and fifth career completegame. He needed only 95 pitches to match his career low complete game andfinished off the Cardinals in a snappy 2 hours, 6 minutes.
He faced only two three-ball counts all night and didn’t walk a batter forthe second time in three starts.
Series at a Glance San Francisco 10 St. Louis 0 Mon, Jun 29 – Final San Francisco at St. Louis Tue, Jun 30 – 8:15 pm ET San Francisco at St. Louis Wed, Jul 1 – 8:15 pm ET
“Their tendencies against me were they don’t get too deep in the count,”Lincecum said. “Guys were swinging early and often, so I was just trying togive them pitches they couldn’t hit out of the park.”
Make that out of the infield. Giants outfielders handled only seven chances.
“He’s been on this roll for I don’t know how many starts,” manager BruceBochy said. “Tonight he did say it was one of his best games. I don’t think hehad a stressful inning.”
The Cardinals were not arguing that point.
“He worked us over,” manager Tony La Russa said. “Everything looks thesame until it gets to the plate.”
Brad Thompson(notes) (2-4) took the loss for the Cardinals, who have lost five ofsix while scoring three or fewer runs in all of the setbacks.
Lincecum retired the first 14 in order, the early perfection ending whenRick Ankiel(notes) lofted a soft broken-bat single to center with two outs in thefifth, then mowed down five more before Albert Pujols(notes) doubled off the left-fieldwall with one out in the seventh. Then, the last eight Cardinals went quietly.
“I think he smells that,” catcher Bengie Molina(notes) said. “He’s close to theend and he wants to finish the game.”
Pujols was the only runner to reach scoring position for the Cardinals, whohave totaled two runs in two games since acquiring Mark DeRosa(notes) from the Indians.
Edgar Renteria’s(notes) three-run double capped a five-run seventh as the Giantsbatted around against rookie Clayton Mortensen, whose contract was purchasedfrom Triple-A Memphis earlier in the day and made his major league debut. Onlyone of the runs was earned because of a throwing error by second baseman SkipSchumaker(notes).
Juan Uribe(notes) added his second homer of the season, and third in 30 careerat-bats at 4-year-old Busch Stadium, leading off the eighth off Mortensen.
Lincecum’s eight strikeouts gave him the major league lead with 132 in 114innings, and his 2.37 ERA is second in the NL. He’s been nearly perfect in fourstarts against the Cardinals, winning all of them with a 1.61 ERA.
Over his last eight starts, he’s 5-1 with a 1.27 ERA. He got an extra day ofrest for this start and is 10-2 under that scenario.
Molina’s RBI single off Thompson in the first snapped an 0-for-12 slump, andNate Schierholtz(notes) and Renteria singled with one out in the fourth ahead ofIshikawa’s fifth homer of the season for a 4-0 cushion. Uribe’s homer reachedBig Mac Land in the third deck above the left-field wall.
Thompson, who has faltered a bit in his bid to stay in the rotation whenKyle Lohse(notes) returns from a forearm strain, allowed four runs in six innings. Hetried not to let pitching against Lincecum bother him.
“You still have to go out there and throw your game,” Thompson said. “Youcan’t worry about what he’s doing. I see him out there, but I’m not worriedabout his line, what he’s up to.”
The Giants lead the majors with nine shutouts, including two straightcounting a 7-0 win at Milwaukee on Sunday.
NOTES: Lincecum threw his first career two-hitter Sept. 18, 2008, atArizona. … Giants manager Bruce Bochy said rookie Ryan Sadowski(notes), who workedsix scoreless innings against the Brewers for his first career victory Sunday,earned a spot in the rotation. Sadowski replaced Jonathan Sanchez(notes). … Mortensenis the eighth Cardinals player to make his major league debut this season, and14th rookie. … The Giants have homered in five straight games, totaling eight.… The Giants haven’t committed an error in a season-high nine games.
Comments
Got something to say?
