Lincecum runs scoreless streak to 23 innings
Tim Lincecum pitched seven scoreless innings in the Giants’ 9-0 win over the Astros on Saturday. He has now thrown 23 scoreless innings in his last three games and has lowered his ERA to 2.23 while amassing a 9-2 record.
So much for Lincecum’s arm falling off. After tossing 227 innings last season, many thought that “The Franchise” would suffer a post-Cy Young slump and sift into arm-trouble hell. And when he started the season 0-1 with two no decisions, the I-told-you-so’s were out in full force.
But Lincecum has been absolutely filthy of late, with Saturday marking his 14th career start in which he’s allowed zero earned runs in seven or more innings. That ties Ron Gudry and Fernando Valenzuela for the fourth-most such starts by a pitcher in his first 75 career games since 1954, with Dwight Gooden leading all players in that category with 23.
With the Giants playing on the West Coast, Lincecum seemingly doesn’t get the national attention he deserves. But he’s the best young pitcher in the game and if San Fran can continue to play well this season, maybe they’ll make the postseason and his skills can be on full display come mid-October.
The Giants have some nice pitching – they need to go out and get some good bats.
Curiously, this streak began right around the time that I traded Lincecum to the Giants-loving author of this article in our keeper league. D’oh.
DM – normally when I acquire Giants players for fantasy purposes, those players suffer suckitis and go into a major tailspin. Lincecum and Sandoval have been the rare exceptions, although I’m waiting for each of them to come down with bird flu or something to screw me.
But you know all about suckitis – it’s why you stayed away from Cubs in the draft…