Monday, Aug. 18, 2008

Lincecum stretches win total to 13

Uncomfortable Lincecum finds groove in the stretch en route to 13th victory

ATLANTA -- Saved by the stretch.

Giants ace Tim Lincecum struck out 10 and allowed three hits to help San Francisco beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Sunday.

Despite the impressive numbers, Lincecum said he was struggling to throw strikes "in just about every inning" and decided to pitch from the stretch starting in the sixth.

"I had to make an adjustment," Lincecum said. "I felt a little more comfortable going from the stretch. Less moving parts. It's easier to get toward the target, and that helped me out."

Giants manager Bruce Bochy wasn't concerned when Yunel Escobar, the first batter Lincecum faced while pitching out of the stretch, gave the Braves their first hit since Kelly Johnson's single with one out in the second.

"Those first two innings he was out of sync, walking the leadoff hitter," Bochy said. "But that's what you like about the kid. He adjusted. He did his job."

Showing no bad effects from the bruised knee that forced him to leave his last start, Lincecum (13-3) allowed one run and four walks in 7º innings. Five of his 10 strikeouts came with runners in scoring position.

Bochy pulled his ace after Chipper Jones' single gave the Braves two baserunners in the eighth. Reliever Jack Taschner allowed an RBI single to Mark Kotsay, the first batter he faced, and Bochy brought in closer Brian Wilson.

Wilson intentionally walked pinch hitter Brian McCann before ending the eighth on Jeff Francoeur's fielder's choice grounder. Wilson then pitched the ninth to earn his NL-leading 33rd save in 35 chances.

Travis Ishikawa's first career homer, a two-run shot in the second, opened the scoring. San Francisco led 3-0 in the fifth when Randy Winn tripled and scored on Emmanuel Burris' RBI single.