Tim Lincecum came close to a complete game shutout, but had to be bailed out of trouble in the ninth inning of the Giants 6-2 win over Arizona. San Francisco put up yet another big inning, leading to them to their third straight victory.
Lincecum bounced back after having a rough start last week. He had a shutout going into the ninth inning, but got into trouble when he loaded the bases. He finished the day allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks, while striking out nine batters in eight and a third innings pitched. Alex Hinshaw was summoned from the bullpen to end the threat and keep the shutout alive, he got the ground ball the Giants were looking for, but got an error when he missed the catch while covering first base to get the game-ending doubleplay. Sergio Romo relieved Hinshaw and got a strikeout to end the game.
For the third straight game, the Giants put together a big inning, last night’s was a five-run third inning. The inning was highlighted by a Bengie Molina three-run homer, he also had a double in the seventh inning that allowed him to come around to score another run. The Giants had four straight hits to start the third inning, Pablo Sandoval’s single drove in Dave Roberts for the first run of the game. A bases loaded walk later in the inning to Roberts would bring in Emmanuel Burriss for the fifth run.
Barry Zito has stepped up his game in his last few starts and will look to extend San Francisco’s streak to four tonight at 7:15 p.m. It will be a lefty-lefty match up when Doug Davis will start for the D-backs.
