Colorado @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( May 2, 2010 ) Colorado 4, San Francisco 1
An epic pitching matchup is the featured attraction as the San Francisco Giants host the Colorado Rockies on Monday during a Memorial Day matinee contest in the opener of a three-game series.
Two-time reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum will pitch for the Giants against Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez, who is off to the best start of any pitcher since 1966.
Repeat – no pitcher has started better since 1966.
Jimenez is 9-1 with an 0.88 ERA to become the first pitcher since San Francisco legend Juan Marichal to have an ERA below 1.00 after 10 starts.
The highlight of Jimenez’s super season was the no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves on April 17 but he’s been on his game every time he’s headed to the mound. Even the lone loss was a strong effort as he gave up just one run and two hits in seven innings as Colorado was blanked by the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 9.
Jimenez has given up just seven runs and 42 hits in 71 1/3 innings. He has struck out 61.
Lincecum (5-1) has experienced back-to-back subpar outings that has seen his ERA rise from 1.76 to 3.00. He has issued 10 walks in his 9 2/3 innings to go along with 11 runs and 11 hits.
The talented hurler has just one victory in his last six starts after opening the campaign with four consecutive victories.
Lincecum has a major-league high 80 strikeouts in 66 innings and has given up just 49 hits.
This will be the fifth time Lincecum and Jimenez have started against one another. Overall, Lincecum is 5-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 11 career starts against the Rockies while Jimenez is 3-4 with a 3.19 ERA in 10 career starts against the Giants.
Colorado first baseman Todd Helton is one of the few hitters in baseball who has achieved a lot of individual success against Lincecum. Helton is batting .474 (9-of-19) off the Giants’ ace. On the other side of the scale, second baseman Clint Barmes (0-for-11) has never gotten a hit off Lincecum.
Colorado lost two of three to Los Angeles over the weekend, while San Francisco has won four consecutive games.
New Giants leadoff hitter Andres Torres has been spectacular since being put at the top of the lineup, going .370 (10-of-27) in seven games since the promotion. Torres had a career-high four hits and is batting .359 since May 12 to raise his season average 53 points to .307.
Also providing a lift to the San Francisco offense is Buster Posey, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 draft. Posey was recalled in time to play against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday and had three hits in back-to-back games. He had three RBIs on Saturday and another RBI on Sunday.
On another note, Giants left fielder Mark DeRosa (wrist) will start an injury rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose on Monday.