Saturday, April 28, 2012

Battlin' Tim

Start #5:   Win !  (2-2)  8 innings  1 unearned run   3 hits (all infield!)  4 walks  5 K's

Acting as if he was a grizzled veteran from a few decades ago, our beloved Freak, Tim Lincecum (2-2), pitched a gritty gem (game score 75) as the Giants came back to beat the Padres, 2-1.  Timmeh used every thing he had (particularly beautiful  curveball tonight) to keep us in a close one against the pesky Anthony Bass.  Tim's fastball velocity continues to underwhelm (88-91 mph) but the location was generally good. He finished off the eighth with some of his best pitches, which is classic Tim.  I have a very good feeling about next month.

Lots of GOOD:  Tim's first hit of the year actually broke up a perfect game after Bass had dumbfounded the first 17 batters. It was of the infield variety but Tim showed some impressive speed down the line.  Melky continues to steal my heart; this time with a three slick putout inning and a clutch double to get us started.  But the true non-Tim star of the game was Brandon Belt. I was literally telling the monitor that "This is it.  This is your moment. You will be the Giants 1B for years." 
Sure enough, he heard me and stroked one into the gap. SWEEEEEEET.

Little BAD:  The errors continue to mount; two more tonight (should have been three but they inexplicably reversed one on Burriss). That makes 25 in 21 games.  Oh yeah, Pablo didn't come close to extending his hit streak. He will just have to start another one.

3 comments:

Shankbone said...

Streak got to Pablo's head. 6 pitches in 4 ABs!

I refuse to ever count out The Franchise. Great athletes and competitors find a way. He's scuffling big time for sure.

Need the series win today. Time for some offensive outbreak. Day game, live balls, first splash hit of the year. Belt made great contact, Bochy needs to drop this platoon split nonsense and start him against the lefty.

M.C. O'Connor said...

Friday's game was too wretched for words, and it looked bad early yesterday. But Tim's hit changed everything and then he was dominating the rest of the way.

I felt the same way with the Belt AB. I kept thinking "serve notice, baby!" You want to make a case for playing time, get hits like that.

Giants need to crush these wannabes.

Zo said...

I think Tim is close to being his old dominant self. His pitches were, if not strikes, close. Not far outside and not misses that made for fat ones. He could use some more velocity on his fastball, to give his pitches more of a different look. Maybe that was why he was using his curve more than a change, which can be his most unhittable pitch. And Melky looked great out there chasing down flies. Tim enjoyed it.