Final
Giants-Marlins Preview
Jun 7, 2009 - 6:31 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS WriterSan Francisco (28-26) at Florida (27-30), 5:05 p.m. EDT
Tim Lincecum has pitched well over his last few starts without much to show for it. It's not hard to figure out where the blame lies.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner seeks only his second win in his last six starts Sunday when the San Francisco Giants continue a four-game series with the Florida Marlins.
Lincecum (4-1, 3.01 ERA) hasn't pitched poorly after going 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA last season, but only has one victory in his last five starts despite posting a 2.97 ERA in that span.
Much of the problem rests with San Francisco's bullpen. Four of the club's eight blown saves this season have come in games Lincecum has started.
After pitching eight scoreless innings against Atlanta on May 26, Lincecum gave up four runs - two earned - and eight hits over 6 1-3 innings in a 10-6 loss at Washington on Tuesday.
While the bullpen gave up the lead, he blamed himself.
"I shouldn't have left the game with a 5-4 lead," said Lincecum, who has never faced the Marlins (27-30). "I should have been way better than that."
The San Francisco ace will try to help his team rebound after it had a three-game win streak snapped with a 5-4 loss on Saturday. Hanley Ramirez had two of Florida's five doubles and the Marlins scored three times in the fifth after the Giants (28-26) tied the game in the top of the inning.
San Francisco loaded the bases in the ninth before Aaron Rowand's two-run single cut the deficit to one, but Edgar Renteria struck out to end the game.
"We had the tying run on third and we were still fighting," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I thought the guys did a good job of battling out there."
Rowand extended the majors' longest active hitting streak to 16 games. He's batting .406 (28 for 69) during his run, including 5 for 10 in this series.
Florida will send Ricky Nolasco (2-5, 9.07) to the mound after recalling him from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Nolasco, who won a team and career-high 15 games in 2008, led the Marlins to an opening-day victory over Washington on April 6, but was optioned to the minors on May 23 after allowing eight runs in back-to-back starts.
The right-hander made two starts in Triple-A, going 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA over 15 innings.
"It wasn't a makeover on delivery," manager Fredi Gonzalez told the Marlins' official Web site. "I don't think we're going to see a makeover delivery-wise. He wasn't attacking with his fastball. He got away from doing that a little bit and we want him to do that. I think we're going to see him pitching more with his fastball and commanding his fastball. The reports on his second game down there say that's what he was doing."
In his first career appearance against the Giants, Nolasco threw a two-hitter in a 6-0 road win on Aug. 19, striking out 11 for the first complete game by a Marlins' starter in 302 games.
- NL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
SAN FRANCISCO 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 11 0
FLORIDA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 5 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: SFO - TIM LINCECUM, SERGIO ROMO (8TH), BRIAN WILSON (9TH) AND BENGIE
MOLINA
FLA - RICKY NOLASCO, CRISTHIAN MARTINEZ (8TH), KIKO
CALERO (9TH) AND JOHN BAKER
HOME
Jun 7 9:32 PM - NL
AT FLORIDA - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY CHRIS COGHLAN (2) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 8TH OFF TIM LINCECUM SCORED JOHN BAKER.
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 3, FLORIDA 2
DUE UP FOR FLORIDA: E BONIFACIO (.243, 0-FOR-3)
Giants 3, Marlins 2 Bot 8, 0 OutsJun 7 9:06 PM - NL
AT FLORIDA - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JUAN URIBE SCORED FRED LEWIS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J URIBE ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 3
FLORIDA 0 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: E BURRISS (.259, 0-FOR-2)
Giants 3, Marlins 0 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 7 8:17 PM - NL
AT FLORIDA - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY BENGIE MOLINA SCORED TIM LINCECUM.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, R WINN ON FIRST, A ROWAND ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 2
FLORIDA 0 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: P SANDOVAL (.303, 1-FOR-2)
Giants 2, Marlins 0 Top 5, 0 OutsJun 7 8:02 PM - NL
AT FLORIDA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BENGIE MOLINA SCORED RANDY WINN.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B MOLINA ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 1
FLORIDA 0 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: P SANDOVAL (.299, 0-FOR-1)
Giants 1, Marlins 0 Top 4, 0 OutsJun 7 7:35 PM
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