Survivor Tim

Start #20    WIN !!!  (4-10)    7 innings   5 hits   2 runs   2 walks    6 strikeouts

For the sixth time this season, Tim Lincecum delivered a quality start ( game score 63 ) and the Giants took the opener in Philadelphia by the score of 7-2.  He wasn't exactly dominating; his fastball command wasn't there AGAIN, but today he found a way to hold it together.  Timmeh adjusted, he survived...something he has not done a lot of this year.  And, of course, we hit the snot out of the ball, so that really helped too.

The best part of Tim's performance came right after quite an embarrassing moment.  In the dreaded fourth inning, Tim got in trouble after a couple of scorched singles.  I admit that I feared the worst...face it, Tim has sucked on the road.  Then he balked in a run.  Not just any ol' balk, a freaky one.  He pretty much just fell off the rubber as he started his windup.  It was not pretty.  But then, Tim shook it off and got out of the inning.  Not only that, he proceeded to rip through the next three innings and only gave up an infield hit ( it was amazing how close Crawford came to throwing him out!) and a meaningless homer to Ryan Howard. The last man he faced, he struck out.  A stupid detail, but it hearkens back to the glory days.  Can we Tim-aholics start to dream yet?

The good: The obvious player of the game is Brandon Crawford with his second career grand slam, 5 RBI's and spectacular defense.  However, I feel I must mention what a stud Eli Whiteside was tonight.  I have always been tough on Whiteside, hell I was frigging rude last year when he tried to catch Tim a couple times.  But today he was great.  Eli blocked everything Tim chucked up there, which is no small feat.  He also delivered the Giants first run against an ( at that time ) untouchable Vance Worley.  Great game Eli, you were just what Tim needed.  I promise not to say anything mean about you for a week.  Well, maybe a weekend.