Milwaukee @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 7, 2013 ) Milwaukee 6, San Francisco 1

Despite pitching his first no-hitter four starts ago, the San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum will be hard-pressed to avoid recording his worst major-league season. The Giants' struggling offense has something to with Lincecum's demise, and the club will try to offer more support when it hosts the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon in the finale of their four-game series. The Giants scored one run or were shut out in 10 of Lincecum's starts and scored a total of two runs in his last three outings.

The 2008 and 2009 National League Cy Young Award winner will oppose rookie Donovan Hand, who has helped stabilize the Brewers' rotation but still is looking for his first major-league victory. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy moved Hunter Pence into the leadoff spot Wednesday to try to get the offense going, but he went 0-for-4. Batters at the top of the Giants' order have combined to go an eye-popping 6-for-74 with five runs scored in 19 games since the All-Star break and are hitless in their last 22 plate appearances.

TV: 3:45 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Donovan Hand (0-3, 3.60 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Lincecum (5-11, 4.43)

Bochy said Lincecum “is in a good place" after he allowed one run and six hits in seven innings of the Giants' 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Saturday. The 29-year-old, who is 0-2 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts since no-hitting San Diego on July 13, is 2-9 over his last 14 outings as San Francisco scored 31 runs in those games. Lincecum is 3-3 with a 4.59 ERA in nine starts against Milwaukee with 53 strikeouts in 51 innings.

Hand allowed three runs and five hits - two home runs - in a career-high seven innings of Milwaukee's 3-0 loss to Washington on Saturday for his second straight quality outing. "The three runs kept us in the game, but I've just got to be better. ... I just have to make sure everything is down and work from that," the 27-year-old told reporters. Hand is 0-3 with a 3.69 ERA in six games as a starter and has a 3.44 ERA in 12 relief appearances.

WALK-OFFS

1. Milwaukee prevailed 6-1 on Wednesday for its second straight victory while handing San Francisco its fourth loss in five games.

2. Brewers 2B Rickie Weeks needed to be helped off the field Wednesday after suffering an apparent hamstring injury while running to first base in the eighth inning.

3. The Giants have gone 11 games and 101 innings without a home run at AT&T Park. The San Francisco-era record is 16 games and 138 innings - set last season.

PREDICTION: Giants 3, Brewers 2