Milwaukee @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2010 ) Milwaukee 3, San Francisco 0
The San Francisco Giants came up empty during their first attempt at stretching their initial first-place lead in more than four months. They will try again on Saturday night.
The Giants, who dropped a 3-0 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, remained atop the NL West by a half game after the San Diego Padres were routed by the St. Louis Cardinals.
San Francisco takes another swing at increasing the division lead on Saturday with red-hot Tim Lincecum on the mound.
Lincecum has won three straight decisions while displaying the form that saw him win back-to-back Cy Young Awards. He has struck out 29 batters and walked just two in 21 2/3 innings during the stretch.
After struggling for a lengthy portion of the season, Lincecum allowed just five runs and 17 hits in the consecutive victories over the Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego.
Lincecum dominated the Brewers earlier this season when he struck out nine in seven innings during a 6-1 victory. He is 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA in six career starts against Milwaukee.
The three straight victories have improved Lincecum’s record to 14-9. The win count is just one shy of last year’s total when Lincecum won his second Cy Young Award. But his ERA of 3.60 is more than a run higher than last season (2.48).
Lincecum lost five straight starts prior to the run of strong performances.
The Brewers counter with Yovani Gallardo (12-7, 3.64 ERA), who has struggled since the All-Star break after a terrific first half of the season.
The hurler is 4-3 with a 5.75 ERA in 10 post All-Star Game outings. Prior to the break, he was 8-4 with a 2.58 ERA in 18 starts.
Gallardo can match his career-high for victories if he beats the Giants. He is coming off a strong outing in which he blanked the Chicago Cubs on four hits over seven innings.
In five career starts against San Francisco, Gallardo is 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA.
Milwaukee received great pitching in Friday’s game as Randy Wolf pitched a three-hit shutout. Ryan Braun was the offensive star as he went 3-for-4 and scored twice.
San Francisco third baseman Pablo Sandoval was on the bench and has struggled in September with just three hits in 32 at-bats (.094).
Shortstop Edgar Renteria batted leadoff for the second straight night, but went 0-for-4. Renteria had four hits a night earlier against the Los Angeles Dodgers.