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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Giants' Lincecum 2-hits Cards, 10-0


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum (8-2) allowed two hits and struck out eight in a 10-0 win at St. Louis.

JEFF ROBERSON | Associated Press

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ST. LOUIS — Tim Lincecum looked ready for a return trip to Busch Stadium in two weeks for the July 14 All-Star game. The St. Louis Cardinals could not touch him.

Lincecum threw a two-hitter for his third complete game of the season, all in his last four starts, in the San Francisco Giants' 10-0 rout last night. Travis Ishikawa's three-run homer for a 4-0 lead in the fourth was way more than the right-hander needed.

"The way Timmy's been pitching lately, after the first run I felt pretty comfortable," Ishikawa said.

Lincecum (8-2) is tied with teammate Matt Cain for the league lead in complete games and his 2.37 ERA is second in the NL after mastering the punchless Cardinals with his third career shutout and fifth career complete game. He needed only 95 pitches to match his career low complete game and finished 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 for the second time in three starts.

"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 to give them pitches they couldn't hit out of the park."

Juan Uribe added a homer in the eighth for the Giants.

Brad Thompson (2-4) took the loss for the Cardinals, who have lost five of six while scoring three or fewer runs in all of the setbacks.

BREWERS 10, METS 6:

Casey McGehee hit his first career grand slam and J.J. Hardy tied a career high with four hits, including a homer, as host Milwaukee beat New York. McGehee hit his grand slam against reliever Brian Stokes for a 7-2 lead in support of Braden Looper (6-4), who allowed seven hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.

CUBS 3, PIRATES 1:

Rich Harden won for the first time in more than six weeks and Ryan Theriot homered as Chicago beat host Pittsburgh. Harden (5-4) was 0-3 with a 5.64 ERA in four starts since last winning May 12. He gave up nine hits — eight singles — and walked a batter, but struck out nine.

MARLINS 4, NATIONALS 2:

Ricky Nolasco retired the final 13 batters he faced and Emilio Bonifacio drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth as host Florida beat Washington. Hanley Ramirez had three hits and an RBI for Florida. Nolasco (5-6) went eight innings and yielded four hits and two runs with eight strikeouts.

ASTROS 3, PADRES 1:

Houston's Roy Oswalt (4-4) fired a two-hitter against host San Diego, retiring his final 18 batters. Ivan Rodriguez homered and the Astros went ahead 3-1 with two runs in the sixth on consecutive singles by Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee, and a sacrifice fly by Geoff Blum.

DODGERS 4, ROCKIES 2:

Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer in the 13th inning and host Los Angeles beat Colorado. Joel Peralta (0-1), the sixth Colorado pitcher, began his third inning of work by giving up a single to Casey Blake in the 13th. The next batter was Ethier, who drove the right-hander's 39th pitch to right field on a 1-2 count for his team-high 15th homer.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

RAYS 4, BLUE JAYS 1:

Carl Crawford and Pat Burrell homered and visiting Tampa Bay beat Toronto and ruined Roy Halladay's return from a sore groin. Halladay (10-2) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, walking two and striking out seven. Jeff Niemann (7-4) won his third straight decision, allowing one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings.

RED SOX 4, ORIOLES 0:

Jon Lester (7-6) pitched seven shutout innings and J.D. Drew came within a double of hitting for the cycle as Boston beat host Baltimore. Jonathan Papelbon got the final out with two on to earn his 132nd career save, tying Bob Stanley for the most in Red Sox history. Papelbon has 19 saves this season in 20 opportunities.

WHITE SOX 6, INDIANS 3:

Gavin Floyd shut out Cleveland on five singles over 7 2/3 innings and Chicago climbed back to .500 by handing host Cleveland its 11th loss in 13 games. Jermaine Dye and Gordon Beckham had RBI singles off Carl Pavano (6-7) as the White Sox (38-38) won for the 10th time in 14 games.

ANGELS 5, RANGERS 2:

Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales hit back-to-back home runs that put Los Angeles ahead and the AL West-leading Angels beat host Texas. Rookie right-hander Sean O'Sullivan (2-0) allowed consecutive homers to David Murphy and Marlon Byrd in the third, but no other runs in his six innings.

ROYALS 4, TWINS 2:

Miguel Olivo homered, tripled and drove in two runs and Luke Hochevar (3-3) fired seven scoreless innings as host Kansas City beat Minnesota. Kansas City took a 3-0 lead on consecutive homers by Alberto Callaspo and Olivo in the sixth inning.

ATHLETICS 7, TIGERS 1:

Mark Ellis hit a two-run homer in his second game back from a two-month injury absence, and Ryan Sweeney homered and drove in two runs as host Oakland beat Detroit. Maui native Kurt Suzuki had a run-scoring double for the A's.

NOTES

Angels: Ervin Santana could be back in the rotation for Los Angeles by the weekend. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said the right-hander had no problems during a 45-pitch rehab assignment Sunday night in the Arizona Summer League. Santana is 1-3 with a 7.47 ERA in six starts this year. He missed the first six weeks of the season with a sprained ligament in his right elbow and has been out since June 12 due to an inflamed right triceps.

Mets: Center fielder Carlos Beltran was in Colorado yesterday to have a second opinion on his ailing right knee. Beltran was consulting with noted knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman at his Vail clinic. Beltran has an aching bone bruise in his knee and assistant general manager John Ricco says Beltran asked to have a second opinion.

Athletics: Rookie left-hander Josh Outman (4-1) will have surgery on his pitching elbow today. The Athletics didn't immediately announce the severity of the surgery or a timetable for Outman's return.

Cardinals: Infielder Khalil Greene was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the second time with social anxiety disorder yesterday. The Cardinals purchased the contract of right-hander Clayton Mortensen from Triple-A Memphis.