Lincecum Struggles, as Giants Fail to Complete the Sweep Once Again

Tim Lincecum gave up five runs in not even five innings, dooming the Giants a chance to complete the sweep on Wednesday afternoon. 


Lincecum, who hadn't allowed a run at AT&T Park in 15 innings coming into the game, surrendered a solo blast to Chase Headley in the first inning to end the streak. 

Melky's Cabrera tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Gregor Blanco. However, the Giants bats were silenced by the struggling Jason Marquis. Marquis didn't another hit until the seventh inning after allowing a leadoff single to Blanco in the first frame. 


Lincecum was rather the opposite of Marquis, though and it didn't help the matter that his defense wasn't sharp.


 Angel Pagan, who made one of the best catches in AT&T Park history on Tuesday night, got a slow jump on a shallow fly ball from Will Venable. Pagan dove, but was unable to catch the ball, and two runs would come across the plate to give the Padres a 3-0 lead in the fourth. 


Lincecum, who threw far too many pitches to go deep into the game, allowed a two-run shot to Jesus Guzman in the fifth. After carving up the Phillies and the Astros in his two previous starts, Lincecum took two steps back on Wednesday despite striking out eight batters. 


Guzman smashed another home run in the eighth inning to pad the Padres' 5-1 lead. 


The Giants finally broke through against Marquis in the eighth. Brandon Belt reached on a throwing error by Everth Cabrera. He would advance to second on the error and Joaquin Arias followed with an infield shortstop to Cabrera. 


With runners on first and third, Belt scored on a wild pitch, but Arias was thrown out at third base on Eli Whiteside's chopper in the hole that Cabrera stretched out for. 


Melky Cabrera had a chance to tie in with two runners on, but he struck out swinging.