Staggering Padres get no-hit by Lincecum, lose for 18th time in 21 games (Lenny Ignelzi/ Associated Press ) - San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum pitches to San Diego Padres’ Chase Headley in the ninth inning of his no hitter in a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013. Tim Lincecum pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-0 win over the last-place San Diego Padres on Saturday night. (Lenny Ignelzi/ Associated Press ) - San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum pitches to San Diego Padres’ Chase Headley in the ninth inning of his no hitter in a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013. Tim Lincecum pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-0 win over the last-place San Diego Padres on Saturday night.(Lenny Ignelzi/ Associated Press ) - San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence makes a diving catch to save the no hit game of Tim Lincecum in the eighth inning of a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The ball was hit by San Diego Padres’ Alexi Amarista and the Giants won the game 9-0. Tim Lincecum pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-0 win over the last-place San Diego Padres on Saturday night.(Lenny Ignelzi/ Associated Press ) - San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Belt rounds the bases with a two-run homer as San Diego Padres starting pitcher Edinson Volquez stares into the night in the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013.(Lenny Ignelzi/ Associated Press ) - San Francisco Giants celebrate after the no hitter thrown by Tim Lincecum, center, against the San Diego Padres in a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The Giants won the game 9-0. Tim Lincecum has thrown his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-0 win against the last-place San Diego Padres on Saturday night.(Lenny Ignelzi/ Associated Press ) - San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum is bent over as water hits the crowd of Giant players celebrating Lincecum’s no hitter over the San Diego Padres in a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013. Tim Lincecum has thrown his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-0 win against the last-place San Diego Padres on Saturday night.(Lenny Ignelzi/ Associated Press ) - San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum lifts a fist toward Giants right fielder Hunter Pence after Pence made a diving catch to save Lincecum’s no hitter against the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning of a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013. By Associated Press, Updated: Sunday, July 14, 12:02 AM SAN DIEGO — As if the San Diego Padres needed another reminder of how poorly they’ve been playing, Tim Lincecum gave them a big one. Lincecum pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-0 win over the last-place Padres on Saturday night. The two-time Cy Young Award winner in a season-long funk who was the loser when Cincinnati’s Homer Bailey no-hit the Giants on July 2, threw a whopping 148 pitches. “He’s evolved,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “He knows how to pitch. He keeps his poise. He has us off-balance all night.” Lincecum (5-9) was in control from the start Saturday, striking out 13. He walked four and hit a batter. Still, he needed some help to preserve his no-no. Pence caught Alexi Amarista’s sinking liner with a full dive to end the eighth. Lincecum pumped his fist as Pence jumped up with the ball in his glove. Amarista put his hands to his helmet and pulled it off in disgust. “I thought for sure it was a hit,” Lincecum said. “You see Hunter flying out of nowhere making the flying grab. That was really impressive a big play for us.” Pablo Sandoval did his part, too, when he made a nice backhanded play on pinch-hitter Jesus Guzman’s grounder deep behind third base and threw him out for the third out of the seventh. Lincecum had been struggling coming in, losing his previous four decisions and hadn’t won since June 4 against Toronto. He hadn’t won on the road since April 3 at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then again, he’d gotten only 12 runs of support in his last 10 starts. The Padres remain the only team without a no-hitter. The pro-Giants crowd gave Lincecum a standing ovation as he headed to the mound for the ninth. Lincecum, who pitched like The Freak of old, struck out Chase Headley and then retired Carlos Quentin and Yonder Alonso on fly balls to left. Catcher Buster Posey wrapped Lincecum in a bear hug and lifted the slight right-hander off the ground. Lincecum was then mobbed by his teammates and doused with water. Left fielder Gregor Blanco, who caught Alonso’s fly ball to end the game, found Lincecum in the mob and handed him the ball — pitch 148, the second most pitches thrown in a no-hitter since 1988, according to STATS. The Padres lost for the 18th time in 21 games and dropped a season-high 13 games under .500. “We haven’t been swinging the bats like we’re capable,” Black said. “We’re not pitching. There’s a lot of things we’re not doing well. The last 2 ½ weeks have been unacceptable. We just haven’t gotten it done.” Edwin Jackson needed 149 pitches for his no-no for Arizona in 2010. Lincecum tossed the 15th no-hitter in franchise history and seventh since the Giants moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season. Matt Cain was perfect last June. While Lincecum dominated the Padres, the Giants jumped all over San Diego’s Edinson Volquez (6-8). Posey and Sandoval had three hits apiece. Pence hit a three-run double and finished with four RBIs against Volquez, and then homered off Joe Thatcher leading off the eighth. Brandon Belt hit a two-run home run an estimated 414 feet into the sandy play area beyond the fence in right-center in the fourth inning. Volquez allowed eight runs and nine hits in five innings, struck out six and walked one. He threw 107 pitches. NOTES: The four-game series concludes Sunday with a matchup of lefties. Barry Zito, who went to high school in San Diego, is scheduled to start for San Francisco and Eric Stults is scheduled to start for the Padres. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Jul 2013 18:54:40 +0000
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