Although the Houston Astros’ Roy Oswalt is a legitimate ace, and has been a three-time All-Star, San Francisco Giant Tim Lincecum continues to dominate their head-to-head matchups. Though the battles between the two pitchers have been strenuous and epic, Lincecum has consistently emerged victorious.
Lincecum continued that trend this Tuesday, pitching eight solid innings in the Giants 3-1 win over the Astros. Lincecum destroyed an Astros team that currently ranks last in the National League in hitting and a mediocre 15th in scoring. This poor offensive production was exactly what Lincecum needed to continue his rise to prominence after a May slump.
This victory brings Lincecum’s record up to 8-2. He showed extreme command in throwing 78 strikes on 119 pitches, and in the end allowed seven hits and an unearned run while striking out seven batters. While the win seems like an easy performance for Lincecum, he reveals that it was anything but.
"It seems to be a battle every time out there," Lincecum said. "I kind of want it to be a little more simple and give up less hits."
While Lincecum and Oswalt are both elite pitchers, Lincecum has overwhelmed Oswalt whenever they two have squared off. Lincecum has started eight games against Houston, with six of them being against Oswalt. Overall Lincecum is an impressive 5-0 with an ERA of 1.14. In his six matchups specifically against Oswalt, Lincecum has gone 4-0 and maintained an ERA of 0.85.
Oswalt, who won the 2005 National League Championship Series MVP, has struggled heavily against Lincecum. In the six games against Lincecum, Oswalt is 1-4, with an ERA of 3.07. Unfortunately for Oswalt, it seems that Lincecum is only improving his margin of victory. The two have faced off three times this season, with Lincecum winning all three while maintaining a freakish 0.39 ERA. Such a low ERA translates to just one earned run in 23 innings pitched.
Lincecum was unable to explain his successes against Oswalt and the Astros. "We get the last laugh and things happen for us lately. I don't know why," said Lincecum, before adding:"... The baseball gods control it."
During the game, the baseball gods indeed seemed to be involved on Lincecum’s behalf. After the Astros had scored an unearned run in the third inning, Lincecum was left to deal with the bases loaded and only one out. Astros first baseman Lance Berkman then drilled a seemingly unstoppable ball up the middle. Somehow Lincecum managed to get a slight graze of glove on it, and the deflected ball dropped down to second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who turned a double play to end the inning.
Both teams agree that had it not been for Lincecum’s slight glove graze, Berkman’s hit would have been a deep two-run single. Berkman mournfully said: "That thing was a line drive headed for center field". Giants manager Bruce Bochy considered the play to be the game’s “turning point.”
When asked about his double-play, Freddy Sanchez performed a deflection of his own and said: "[Lincecum] did all the work. I just picked it up, stepped on the bag and threw it."
The one run in the third was almost enough leeway for Oswalt to maintain an Astros victory. Until the seventh inning, he held the Giants scoreless with just four hits. In the seventh, things went awry for the Astros pitcher. With one out, Aubrey Huff singled. After taking a 0-2 lead on Juan Uribe, Oswalt ended up walking the batter. Pat Burrell then batted in one run on another single and Pablo Sandoval hit a slow ball to second base for the game-winning run.
Lincecum has finally returned to the form with which he won two consecutive Cy Young Awards, and if he keeps up his performances he is destined for a three-peat.
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