SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
When they crossed paths in the congratulatory high-five line after the Giants' 2-1 victory over the Astros on Saturday, Brian Wilson had a couple of playful questions for Tim Lincecum:
"Why does it always have to be in your starts? Can you give me a bigger lead maybe?"
Wilson was referring to the ninth-inning zaniness he got himself into - and out of - after relieving Lincecum, who pitched eight innings and was hoping the bullpen would maintain his lead for the first time in four starts.
In an outing as weird as it was memorable, Wilson went from having little control to pinpoint control in a matter of moments. He walked two batters, and half of his first 24 pitches were balls. The result: bases loaded, two outs, Kaz Matsui up.
That's when Wilson machined up. Little did he know the .154-hitter would be such a prolonged challenge.
A 15-pitch at-bat ensued. Fourteen fastballs. Twelve strikes. Nine foul balls - five in a row before Matsui finally flied to left field to end the at-bat, inning and game. At last, Lincecum got his fifth win, Wilson his eighth save.
"After a while, it was kind of comical," Wilson said. "How long of an at-bat was it? Felt like a half-hour. So many things going on in my head. I just had to step off and laugh and look in the dugout - 'What are they thinking right now?' "
Well, Timmy, what were you thinking?
"I didn't feel too nervous," he said. "Wilson was pumping strikes to Matsui. So it was just a matter of whether Matsui was going to put it in play or miss it."
Wilson mixed in one slider on a 2-2 count. Sure enough, Matsui foul-tipped it, and it was too hot to handle for catcher Bengie Molina. So the at-bat resumed. Wilson kept throwing fastballs in the high 90s, and Matsui refused to strike out. One pitch out of the zone would have meant a blown save for Wilson, another no-decision for Lincecum and a faster heart beat for manager Bruce Bochy.
"He had the nerve to ask me after the game, 'Were you worried?' " Bochy said.
Wilson certainly wasn't worried. He said he learned as a closer that it's wiser to be loose than tight, adding, "Can't think of a better time to have recess."
If Matsui had reached base, Bochy said, Jeremy Affeldt would have replaced Wilson. No need. Wilson got it done, and all he needed was 39 pitches.
"I feel bad for the crowd to have them stand that long," Wilson said. "They're probably thinking, 'Gosh, we'd really like to get out of here. Let's go.' "
The Giants scored both runs in the fourth inning on Juan Uribe's homer off Roy Oswalt after Molina's two-out single. The Astros' run came in the first on a wild pitch by Lincecum, who walked five and struck out five.
"Today," Lincecum said, "was one of those days where I was battling more than pitching."
Wilson did both.
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