Big Unit to get an MRI; co-aces named All-Stars

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Sunday was a mixed bag for the San Francisco Giants, with good news off the diamond and bad news on it.

Giants starter Randy Johnson left a 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros with a left shoulder strain after committing a throwing error in the top of the fourth inning.

"I'm going to make this short," Johnson said. "Right now it's a strain and I'm going for an MRI (today). That's all I'm going to say."

Johnson originally hurt the shoulder when he took an awkward swing against Houston starter Roy Oswalt while striking out in the bottom of the third. He grabbed his shoulder as he walked back to the dugout.

"If we think there's anything going on we'll give him extra time," Giants' manager Bruce Bochy said. "He hurt it on the swing but said he felt fine until the throw."

While Johnson was hurting and San Francisco suffered a tough loss to Oswalt and the Astros, the Giants did receive some good news off the field.

To the surprise of no one, co-aces Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain were named to the National League All-Star team, and infielder Pablo Sandoval still has a chance as part of a "Final Five" fan vote.

"Those two were no- brainers," Bochy said of Lincecum and Cain.

They are the first pair of Giants starting pitchers on the All-Star roster since Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry in 1966.

Lincecum (9-2, 2.25) was selected to the NL squad last season but missed the game with dehydration and flu symptoms.

He is the leading candidate to start for the National League in the July 14 game in St. Louis. The game happens to fall on Lincecum's regular day to pitch.

Cain (9-2, 2.44) is a first-time selection, and punctuates a breakthrough season for the right-hander who had been dogged by poor run support and rotten luck the previous two seasons.

"It's a dream come true," Cain said. "I'm looking forward to it."

Sandoval, who is fourth in the National League with a .333 average and leads the Giants with 12 home runs, said simply being considered for an All-Star spot in his first season is "too much for me" to believe, adding, "I'm so happy."

He will compete for Internet and text votes with Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino, Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, Diamondbacks infielder Mark Reynolds and Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman. Votes can be cast on MLB.com; Sprint, Nextel and Boost subscribers can vote on their phones.

In Sunday's game, Oswalt pitched eight strong innings, for Houston, and Miguel Tejada, Hunter Pence and Jason Michaels each hit solo home runs for the Astros.

Johnson allowed four runs and five hits over 3º innings. Rich Aurilia hit a home run for the Giants, who have lost three of their last five.