Lincecum’s speed kills on bump, or bases
Again, the what’s-wrong-with-tim Lincecum brigade acted prematurely. The fifth time was a charm, and Lincecum was back to his neardominant self, dazzling the Padres with his pitches — and speed.
We’re not talking radar-gun speed. We’re talking baserunning speed. Stepping to the plate in the sixth inning Saturday night, Lincecum was the Giants’ 18th batter and first to reach base, legging out an infield single to ruin Anthony Bass’ perfect-game bid and take pressure off his bat-wielding teammates.
The Giants collected three hits in the seventh and scored twice, and the rally stood up for a 2-1 victory over the Padres before a packed house at Third and King that witnessed one of the most entertaining games of the season.
Lincecum pitched eight solid innings, but his two-out single in the sixth is what prompted a boisterous reaction — he advanced to second after shortstop Andy Parrino gloved the grounder in the hole and misfired to first. Angel Pagan followed with a strikeout, but the Giants suddenly had newfound confidence against Bass.
“I had to beat it out,” Lincecum said. “I don’t get very many hits a year.”
The single ended Bass’ string of 33 straight retired Giants, dating to 2011, and served as a reminder of the Giants’ home opener, when Matt Cain’s perfect-game bid halted on a single by opposing pitcher James Mcdonald.
Melky Cabrera opened the seventh with a double, and Nate Schierholtz reached on an infield single when second baseman Orlando Hudson’s throw pulled Yonder Alonso off first base. Brandon Belt drilled a two-run double to left-center.
“We didn’t want the only hit of the night to be from a pitcher,” Belt said, “so we had to go up there and put the ball in play.”
Lincecum gave up three hits in eight innings— an infield single, a ball off second baseman Emmanuel Burriss that
“We didn’t want the only hit of the night to be from a pitcher, so we had to go up there and put the ball in play.”
initially was ruled an error and a bunt single — and walked four, and the only run he surrendered was unearned, thanks to a Belt throwing error.
“I was questioning myself, taking what I was doing in the spring instead of knowing, ‘Hey, every spring I come out of it fine,’ “said Lincecum, who entered 1-2 with an 8.20 ERA in four starts. “It was like, ‘Am I going to come out of it the same way?’ It didn’t look like I was. It didn’t feel right.”
Lincecum got help from Cabrera in the fourth, the left fielder making all three outs, none routine. He stumbled over the bullpen mound to snag Hudson’s foul ball, ran into the wall in left-center after robbing Cameron Maybin and made an over-the-shoulder catch of Parrino’s deep fly.
“After he made one great play over his head, Buster (Posey) came out to me to give him a break,” Lincecum said. “I was like, ‘I don’t think he needs a break.’ Sure enough, (Parrino) hits one right over his head again, and he makes a great play. I was, ‘All right, start listening to Buster.’ ”
Santiago Casilla earned the save (after making an error), and Pagan extended his hit streak to 13 games, but Pablo Sandoval’s ended at 20, a franchise record to open a season.