Henry Schulman SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
There were no animated high fives, fist pumps or joyous leaps after the Giants finished the Padres 6-1 on Sunday. The only chest bump came in the eighth inning, when Pablo Sandoval flattened catcher Yorvit Torrealba trying to score on a Juan Uribe single.
In contrast to the Padres' wild celebration Saturday, the Giants simply shook hands, dressed and headed for home after accomplishing more on a potentially perilous 10-game trip than anyone could have expected.
With Tim Lincecum turning his showdown against major-league ERA leader Mat Latos (he's now fourth) into a no-contest triumph, the Giants took three of four at Petco Park against a team that had owned them. They completed a 7-3 trip and restored a virtual tie with San Diego for the National League West lead.
The day could have been a real downer with news that leadoff hitter Andres Torres might be lost for the rest of the regular season after an appendectomy. It ended with Lincecum walking to the bus in a bowtie, which he learned to tie by watching a YouTube video, while singing a Buddy Holly tune.
Meanwhile, the Padres left town to face Colorado, which has won 10 in a row in its customary September charge.
If outsiders are surprised by the Giants' success on the trip and their place in the standings with three weeks left, insiders are not.
"Stuff in here doesn't change," reliever Sergio Romo said. "We always believed we were good. Our goal in spring training was to make the playoffs. Now we're in position to make it official."
Manager Bruce Bochy praised his players after they gained three games on San Diego while on the road.
"To me, this was a tough trip," he said. "To go 7-3 and be in a better position and gain some ground, that's what you want to do. The boys fought hard the whole trip, in three tough places. It's a credit to them how hard they fought to the core."
The fight continues Tuesday night when the Giants open a three-game series against Los Angeles at AT&T Park, where they will play 12 of their final 18 games.
More significantly, the Giants wade into the final three weeks with their rotation on a high. The starters statistically were the worst in the league during August. In September, they are the majors' best.
Lincecum embodies the turnaround. After allowing a run in seven innings Sunday, he is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in September - after going 0-5 with a 7.82 ERA in August. He struck out nine to reach 208 for the season, becoming the first Giant to have three consecutive 200-strikeout seasons since Juan Marichal had four (1963-66).
Buster Posey hit a two-run homer against Latos in the first inning, into the same box that Torrealba reached for the game's only run Saturday. Lincecum grabbed the two-run lead and ran with it.
"When you've got the team rolling behind me, scoring runs, you've got to take advantage of it," Lincecum said. "My confidence is at an all-time high, especially coming off the last month."
Lincecum quieted San Diego with a good fastball and what he termed his best-ever slider, which he threw with the aid of a tip from Matt Cain.
The Giants KO'd Latos after four innings in his second-worst start of the year. Lincecum delivered the coup de grace, a two-run single past third base after a Sandoval walk and Uribe double. Aubrey Huff launched two rallies with singles, and Jose Guillen had a sacrifice fly.
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