SF Gate/San Francisco Chronicle
Maybe those 1989 A's would have been beatable if Tim Lincecum were a Giant that year. Then again, he was just 5.
Now that he's 25, he can't lose to the A's. He's 3-0 in four starts against the Giants' Bay Area foes, including Tuesday night's 4-1 complete-game victory at the Coliseum. It's not as noteworthy among Giants fans as Lincecum's 3-0 record against the dreaded Dodgers, but it's not bad for second best.
The reigning Cy Young Award winner entered his 108-pitch, 12-strikeout gem having blanked the A's for 16 straight innings, and he ran the streak to 17 before Jason Giambi homered in the second inning. It was the only run Lincecum surrendered in his fourth career complete game, and now his against-the-A's ERA is 1.23.
Both of his complete games this year are against Oakland.
These A's aren't exactly the Bash Brothers, but no one in the visiting clubhouse cared about anything other than the victory, which clinched the season series - the Giants lead four games to one with the 2009 capper tonight.
"I'll say this," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "There's a lot of pride in the Bay Series. We haven't had a lot of success the last few years. To take it this year is good for our fans and our players."
It's just the second time the Giants beat the A's in a season series since the inception of interleague play in 1997. The other exception was 2001.
Lincecum (7-2, 2.57 ERA) overtook Javier Vazquez for the National League strikeout lead, and Bochy said the right-hander is "right there with what he did last year," but Lincecum wouldn't go there, saying in a modest tone, "I'm not the guy to rank. I feel like I'm doing all right."
Lincecum gave up seven hits and walked two and benefited from two opportune double plays and a just-as-timely call from second-base umpire Mike Reilly, who gave the Giants the benefit of the doubt when they blew a chance for three DPs in three innings.
The A's loaded the bases with one out in both the fifth and sixth innings, but grounders by pinch-hitter Nomar Garciaparra (to third baseman Pablo Sandoval) and Kurt Suzuki (to shortstop Edgar Renteria) enabled the Giants to turn inning-ending double plays.
"I didn't want to let them scratch back," Lincecum said.
Another double play seemed imminent in the seventh (one out, two on), but Renteria dropped second baseman Matt Downs' feed. However, Reilly ruled Renteria had possession long enough for an out at second, which infuriated A's manager Bob Geren, who rushed to the scene only to lose the argument.
It simply prolonged the inevitable. The inning ended when left fielder Andres Torres ran a long way to the wall in foul territory in the left-field corner to catch Adam Kennedy's flyball.
"The kid's quite the competitor," Bochy said of Lincecum. "He pitches well in traffic. Good pitchers have the knack to pitch well when they have to, and he did."
On a night the 1989 A's were honored, World Series MVP Dave Stewart - Bochy's old pitching coach in San Diego - threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and Lincecum threw the last, pumping his fist a few times in celebration after Cabrera grounded out to end it.
"I'm sure Stew had to appreciate the game Timmy threw," Bochy said. "Stew pitched like that a few times."
From: MLB.com
 San Francisco (38-32) Won 1 | San Francisco 4, Oakland 1 |  Oakland (31-39) Lost 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standings thru 6/23/09 | Recap: SF | OAK | Wrap | Gameday |
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