Giants hand Lincecum ball in finale with Rockies
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tim Lincecum eyes his fifth straight road win on Wednesday when the San Francisco Giants play the rubber match of their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Lincecum has had a forgettable overall season so far, going 8-14 with a 5.11 ERA. However, he has started to pitch well away from home of late, winning his last four starts on the road and pitching to a 2.16 ERA.
He did not get a decision his last time out at home versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he allowed two runs and four hits with seven walks in 6 1/3 innings of the Giants' 5-2 win.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He wasn't missing (by) much," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "You hate to see the walks; his pitch count got up there, but he just had a good look about him. Even though he was walking guys, there was no panic in him. He kept his poise out there and kept pitching."
Lincecum lost to the Rockies the last time he faced them and is 9-7 with a 3.67 ERA in 21 starts.
San Francisco upped its advantage in the National League West on Tuesday, as Brandon Belt clubbed a solo home run and knocked in four overall to lift the Giants to a 9-8 win. Marco Scutaro and Angel Pagan each plated a run, while starter Madison Bumgarner smacked a three-run homer for the Giants, who have won three of five and now own a six-game lead over the Dodgers atop the division.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We have to keep focusing on what we're doing," Bochy said. "This was a hard- fought game. Typical Coors Field game and we held on."
George Kontos (2-1) earned the victory after striking out the final two hitters in the fifth in relief of Bumgarner, who gave up five runs on 11 hits over 4 1/3 frames.
Carlos Torres (4-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits over two innings of relief work.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tyler Colvin launched a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth, but the Rockies lost for the sixth time in their last seven games.
"It's really encouraging to see young people performing offensively against some of the teams that we've been playing against in the manner in which they've performed," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said of his club's effort.
Getting the call for Colorado on Wednesday will be lefty Jeff Francis, who is 5-4 with a 5.38 ERA. Francis did not get a decision on Friday in Philadelphia, despite a terrific outing, as he scattered six hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings of a 3-2 loss.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Francis has faced the Giants 17 times and is 7-7 with a 5.19 ERA.
San Francisco is 9-4 against the Rockies this season.