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Braves-Giants Preview

Apr 11, 2010 - 6:47 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Atlanta (3-2) at San Francisco (4-1), 4:05 p.m. EDT

In each of the last two seasons, Tim Lincecum has led the NL in strikeouts, been named an All-Star and won the Cy Young Award. One thing the San Francisco Giants right-hander has never accomplished is win his first two starts of a season.

Lincecum gets that chance Sunday at AT&T Park, where the Giants will try to bounce back from their first loss of the season and prevent the Atlanta Braves from winning their first series in San Francisco since 2005.

While lasting just three innings in last season's opening-day start, Lincecum (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was brilliant Monday against Houston, retiring 16 of the first 18 batters he faced while striking out seven in seven scoreless innings. All four hits he allowed in his 98-pitch outing were singles.

"Considering last year - I had that in the back of my mind, just go more than three (innings)," Lincecum told the Giants' official Web site following the 5-2 victory.

Lincecum has gone at least five innings in each of his six career starts against the Braves. But after winning his first five starts in this matchup, Lincecum allowed four runs and seven hits over five innings in a 4-2 loss in Atlanta on July 22.

After picking up last season's Cy Young Award trophy on Saturday, the 25-year-old right-hander looks to avoid a second straight loss to the Braves, who won 7-2 on Saturday and handed the Giants (4-1) their first loss of the season.

"Overall I thought we were off tonight," manager Bruce Bochy said after his team tied a San Francisco record with four wild pitches. "It wasn't a clean game for us. We'd been playing so well and we just had an off night."

After snapping a five-game slide in San Francisco, the Braves (3-2) go for their first series win there since taking two of three July 18-20, 2005.

Another big game from 20-year-old rookie Jason Heyward and Martin Prado could help Atlanta accomplish that.

Hayward was 0 for 9 in his previous two games, including an 0-for-5 effort in Friday's 5-4, 13-inning loss to the Giants, but he walked twice and went 3 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs Saturday.

Prado made his second straight start at third for the injured Chipper Jones (strained right oblique), and posted his fifth straight multihit game. Prado is batting a major league-best .600.

Kenshin Kawakami makes his season debut for Atlanta in the series finale. The 34-year-old right-hander went 7-12 with a 3.86 ERA in 32 games - 25 starts - last season, his first in the majors after winning 112 games in 11 seasons in Japan.

Kawakami developed a blister on his right index finger at the end of the Grapefruit League season, but with a sinker added to his pitching repertoire, he feels confident heading into his second major league season.

"The results are showing that I'm pitching good, so I think I'm looking good heading into the season," Kawakami told the Braves' official Web site through his interpreter.

Kawakami is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against San Francisco.

Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria went 0 for 5 on Saturday, but is still batting .524 - third in the majors.