San Francisco @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( May 19, 2010 ) San Francisco 1, Arizona 13
Odd as it may seem, two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum recently went 22 days between victories for the San Francisco Giants.
Which shouldn't be confused with a rough patch for the Giants' ace.
Lincecum’s perfect record remains intact as he heads to the mound Thursday night when the Giants conclude a two-game series in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Lincecum was saddled with three consecutive no-decisions despite leaving with a lead on all three occasions. But the Giants’ bullpen was unable to protect leads for him against Philadelphia, Florida and the New York Mets.
The right-hander got back in the win column on May 15 when he outdueled Roy Oswalt of the Houston Astros with eight solid innings. Lincecum gave up one run and four hits for his first win since April 23.
Lincecum (5-0) has a 1.76 ERA and a major-league leading 69 strikeouts. Overall, San Francisco has won seven of his eight starts.
Lincecum has allowed two runs or fewer in all but one start – and he struck out a season-high 13 in the game in which he allowed three runs.
He has always fared well against the Diamondbacks, compiling a 5-1 record and 1.87 ERA in nine career starts.
Second baseman Freddy Sanchez made his season debut for the Giants on Wednesday after missing the first six weeks of the season with a shoulder injury. He had major surgery in late December and returned to action about a month before projections.
Sanchez was plugged into the third spot in the order with Pablo Sandoval bumped down into the clean-up spot.
Sanchez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the Giants’ 13-1 defeat. The victory was Arizona’s first at home since April 25. The Diamondbacks were 0-6 at home in May prior to the win.
Rodrigo Lopez has the formidable task of facing Lincecum for the Diamondbacks, who are struggling along in last place in the National League West.
Lopez (2-2) is coming off a stellar outing against Atlanta in which he allowed one run and seven hits in eight innings.
Lopez has a 3.81 ERA and has pitched seven innings or more in each of his last three outings.
First baseman Adam LaRoche was in the lineup for the Diamondbacks on Wednesday despite being drilled in the knee one night earlier by Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson.
LaRoche hit two of Arizona’s team record-tying six homers on Wednesday. Shortstop Stephen Drew, second baseman Kelly Johnson, catcher Chris Snyder and right fielder Justin Upton also homered.
Johnson’s homer was his NL-leading 12th of the season.
Arizona had 11 hits and nine were for extra bases. Conor Jackson, Chris Young and Snyder all had doubles.