SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
Has it really been 16 years since Tim Lincecum starred in "Rookie of the Year," that heartwarming tale of Henry Rowengartner, a sixth-grader who breaks his arm, gets superhuman strength, signs with the Cubs and leads them to the World Series?
"I used to get that all the time," a similarly diminutive Lincecum said after Tuesday's 6-2 Giants victory. "People used to call me Rowengartner or Rosinbagger or whatever the coach called him in the movie."
Thomas Ian Nicholas, who played young Henry, must have felt the same thrill standing on the Wrigley Field mound during filming as Lincecum does in a real game. Lincecum actually cited the movie as one reason he thinks it is cool to pitch here.
Like last year, Lincecum dominated the Cubs at Wrigley, this time allowing two runs in seven innings. In three career starts at the 95-year-old ballpark, he is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA.
The Giants split their only series in Chicago this season and earned their third road victory, the second by Lincecum.
Actually, Lincecum was not superhuman in his third consecutive win. He hung a changeup to Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall, who whacked it into center field for his first hit of the year and an RBI. Lincecum also walked leadoff hitter Aaron Miles in the sixth inning of a 3-2 game and, with one out, fell behind Derrek Lee 3-0.
Then, Lincecum reminded 39,497 fans why he has a Cy Young trophy. He threw three straight fastballs past Lee for his seventh and final strikeout. Miles stole second on the third strike, but Lincecum got Micah Hoffpauir on a flyball to save his victory.
"There's a reason they call him 'The Freak,' " center fielder Aaron Rowand said. "He's got such great stuff. He can throw all of his pitches for strikes and he can expand the zone with all of his pitches. He's got a gift, and I'm glad he's on our side."
Something superhuman also happens to the offense when Lincecum throws. It generally scores gobs of runs for him. In fact, the Giants have scored more than a third of their runs for the season, 33 of 90, in Lincecum's six starts.
On Tuesday, they had bookend three-run rallies. Lincecum enjoyed a 3-0 lead before he threw a pitch thanks to Bengie Molina's team-high fifth home run, which followed a textbook bunt single by Edgar Renteria and a ground single by Rich Aurilia.
The Giants went 4-for-24 after the home run until Renteria walked to start the eighth, Aurilia again singled. Jeff Samardzija relieved Marshall, and Samardzija hit Molina in the elbow to load the bases. Samardzija, a hard-throwing right-hander, left a slider over the plate for Rowand, who snapped an 0-for-20 skid by slamming a two-run double off the left-field wall.
Randy Winn, slumping as well, singled home the final run.
"That's what we've kind of been missing here, that timely hitting, especially a double or a home run," manager Bruce Bochy said, "and we got both of them today."
Giants hitters do not think like the fans and media do. The players do not assume they will be hitless wonders all season. Molina matter-of-factly said, "Once we start scoring runs, I think it's going to be a lot of fun."
Rowand sees a team that should celebrate its 13-12 record despite "not hitting our stride." Yes, Rowand agreed, it would be more fun for the hitters to score six runs a game, but he sees values in the 1-0 wins, too.
"Don't get me wrong," he said. "We'd like to beat the hell out of people. Whether you win 1-0 or 10-2, wins are what get you to the playoffs. When you win (low-scoring) games like that, it's definitely a teaching tool because everybody gets pressed into those pressure situations."
From: MLB.com
 San Francisco (13-12) Won 1 | San Francisco 6, Chi Cubs 2 |  Chi Cubs (14-12) Lost 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standings thru 5/5/09 | Recap: SF | CHC | Wrap | Gameday |
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