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Lincecum, Giants blank Cards

Apr 19, 2008 - 9:55 PM By Jim Walsh PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - Tim Lincecum may be the answer to how to slow down the St. Louis Cardinals.

Lincecum pitched seven strong innings and Aaron Rowand homered and drove in two runs as the San Francisco Giants blanked the Cardinals, 3-0, on Saturday.

Lincecum (3-0) dominated St. Louis in his previous start on Sunday, striking out 11 in six innings while yielding two runs and six hits in a 7-4 win.

He was even better this time, scattering six hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

"(Lincecum) was on today," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He used all his pitches and he throws hard. When you have that combination, you're probably going to have success."

The 23-year old righthander kept the league's leading offense in check with a mixture of fastballs, sliders, and changeups.

"Both my slider, which I developed this year, and my changeup have helped me out tremendously," Lincecum said. "I went from a two-pitch guy coming up to a four-pitch guy now. I'm getting more comfortable with those pitches now and they're helping me get out of big situations."

Lincecum also was helped by his defense, which turned three double plays.

"Those guys were swinging early so I was tried to take advantage of it," said Lincecum who improved to 3-0 in three career starts against St. Louis. "Just keep the balls in the zone, down in the zone. My guys played great defense behind me, so I can't ask for much more than that."

"I thought we did a really good job of competing against (Lincecum)," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "We created some situations and he just put us away. He was outstanding."

Relievers Jack Taschner and Tyler Walker combined for a perfect eighth inning before Brian Wilson closed things out in the ninth, picking up his fifth save.

It was the first time St. Louis had been shut out this year and only its third loss in 11 home games.

The Giants, who entered the game only 1-8 in day contests and losers of three straight, broke through against Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro (0-2) with single runs in the third and fourth innings.

Brian Bocock singled to center to start the third. Bocock moved up on Licecum's sacrifice and scored two batters later on Jose Castillo's ninth double of the season.

Rowand doubled San Francisco's advantage in the next frame when he deposited the first pitch he saw from Pineiro into the Giants' bullpen in left field. It was Rowand's first homer of the year and second in 10 career at-bats against Pineiro.

"(Pineiro) threw me a fast ball up in the zone," Rowand said. "I was trying to stay balanced against him. He picks, he doesn't leave much stuff over the middle. When you get one over the middle you've got to try to take advantage of it."

Rowand struck again in the sixth with an RBI single to left. The outfielder, who has been battling rib soreness and a groin injury, added a single in the eighth for his first three-hit game of the year.

Pineiro was tagged for six runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Giants on Sunday. He showed improvement Saturday, lasting 6 2/3 innings and yielding three runs and eight hits.

"I was throwing strikes (today)," said Pineiro, who threw 56 of 89 pitches for strikes. "Last time, the ball was way up in the zone, today the ball was down in the zone, which I got them to chase for groundballs."

"(Pineiro) was OK," Tony La Russa said. "He's improving, and the couple times he wasn't quite right they nailed him. The other guy was outstanding so that was the game."

Skip Schumaker continued his hot hitting for the Cardinals with two hits, increasing his average to .333.

St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols went 0-for-3 with a walk, snapping his 10-game hitting streak.