This was not Tim Lincecum’s best start of the season, but he got the job done and put an end to the six-game losing streak with a 6-5 win over Colorado in the second game of the series. The middle relievers helped hold the lead, but the Rockies would not go away until the final out and kept the game close.
Lincecum pitched well enough to give the Giants a chance to win, and they managed to just get that done. He lasted six innings, striking out six batters, but also walked four. The walks hurt him, along with five hits that produced three runs for the Rockies. He was able to spread the runs out, allowing one each inning through the second to fourth innings. Keiichi Yabu pitched a perfect seventh inning with a strikeout. Tyler Walker relieved him in the eighth and got out of the inning without giving up any runs on two hits. After scoring two more runs in the ninth inning, extending the Giants lead to three runs, Brian Wilson came in to get the save, but it was easier said than done. Three hits and a walk produced two runs for Colorado, who drew within one run of tying the game; a two-run homer to Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes helped his team feel a sense of hope. But a strike out of third baseman Garrett Atkins with runners on first and second put an end to the Rockies ninth inning comeback.
Together, the Giants put up fourteen hits today, and this time many of them came in clutch situations. San Francisco jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, and added another run on a solo homer by Rich Aurilia. Bengie Molina and Aurilia each went three-for-four. Molina hit a double and two singles, scoring a run himself and driving in another. In addition to his homerun, Aurilia also had two singles. Rightfielder Randy Winn reached base twice, once on a walk and again on a double, he came around to score both times. Aaron Rowand singled twice, both times driving in a run. Leftfielder Fred Lewis had what turned out to be an important at-bat in the ninth, crushing a pitch out of the park for a solo homer.
Jonathan Sanchez will start the finale of the series for San Francisco against Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez. The game is an unusual midday game, scheduled for 12:05 p.m. The Giants will get a much needed day off tomorrow before heading to Florida to take on the Marlins starting on Friday.
