Andrew Baggarly - MercuryNews
In an otherwise smooth season debut Saturday, Omar Vizquel made one big miscalculation. After he singled in the eighth inning, the 41-year-old shortstop asked for the ball to be taken out of play. He thought it was career hit No. 2,600, but actually he had reached that mark two innings earlier.
"Well," he deadpanned, "I got the wrong ball then."
Hey, it was hard to keep track. Vizquel singled three times in a crowd-pleasing debut, Tim Lincecum stopped another losing streak and Jose Castillo had four hits as the Giants won 8-2 against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
Lincecum kept the Phillies from tormenting him again, holding them to four hits over eight innings. He helped the Giants end a five-game slide, and is 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts after San Francisco losses.
With Lincecum on the mound and the ebullient Vizquel back at shortstop, the Giants fed off an excess of energy to match their most lopsided victory of the season.
They also were inspired when center fielder Aaron Rowand received his first Gold Glove in a pregame ceremony. Just 10 more and he'll match Vizquel, who has so many of the trophies that one rests behind some paint cans in the garage of his Seattle-area home.
Vizquel had left-knee surgery in February, and his rehab hit a snag when he suffered a bone bruise, but Saturday he bounced around the field with his usual grace and athleticism. His glove wasn't tested much, but his legs looked lively when he drifted back in familiar fashion to make a catch in shallow left field.
The three singles were most welcome, especially after he batted .246 last season. It helped that he faced a familiar pitcher, Jamie Moyer, in his first game back. Vizquel entered the game with a .373 average against the 45-year-old left-hander.
"It was a big weight off my shoulders when I got that first base hit," Vizquel said. "It's a new year and I'm fresh."
Bruce Bochy batted Vizquel second in the lineup because of his career numbers against Moyer, but the manager plans for Vizquel to float between the No. 2 spot and the bottom of the order. Wherever Vizquel hits, Bochy said he expects that baseball's active hits leader will provide a boost.
"Last year was not his typical year," Bochy said. "He can do some things. He can move runners, bunt or get a big hit for you. He's going to be big in our lineup."
Vizquel said he expects better production as well, but he wasn't shy about angling for another power hitter or two. "We just need to put it together, and maybe get one or two players who can bring more fire with the bat," he said.
For one afternoon, the Giants had fuel to burn. Rowand had a home run among three hits, Randy Winn socked his first homer in 125 at-bats and Daniel Ortmeier (who sought pregame advice from Vizquel on facing Moyer) added a two-run double.
"If you try to get big, he'll eat you up," Rowand said. "It's very easy to walk away with an 0 for 4, scratching your head. Trust me, I've done it a few times."
Lincecum reached 97 mph while striking out the side in the first inning, and he also had complete control of his off-speed pitches. He finished with eight strikeouts, including a curveball that fooled Shane Victorino to end the eighth. Lincecum had a shot at his first complete game, but he had thrown 105 pitches, and Bochy opted to get closer Brian Wilson some work in the ninth inning.
"It was one of those days where everything fell into place," Lincecum said.
Maybe too well. When rookie second baseman Emmanuel Burriss found out he'd be starting across the infield from Vizquel, he wished for nothing more than to team with him on a double play. "I thought, C'mon, Tim, one groundball won't hurt anybody," Burriss said.
Vizquel had an itchy glove, too.
"It's kind of boring, really, because you don't get much action," Vizquel said when asked about playing behind Lincecum. "It's nice to see the ball take off from his hand. It's amazing. He seems to throw harder every day."
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