Lincecum again dominant; Giants continue to pound Astros pitching

Baseball Betting Lines

07/04/2009 - San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum fired seven innings of three-hit shutout ball, and the Giants bats produced a second straight solid effort in a 9-0 win against the Astros.

Lincecum (9-2), fresh off being named the NL's Pitcher of the Month for June, won for the fifth time in his last six starts and for the ninth time in his last 10 decisions.

The reigning Cy Young Award winner for the Senior Circuit struck out nine, walked two and walked twice himself, scoring both times. He has now allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine outings and has fanned at least eight batters in each of his last five starts.

San Francisco pounded out the nine runs on 12 hits one day after taking the opener to this three-game set in similar fashion, 13-0. Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn had a pair of RBI each, while Pablo Sandoval reached base four times with two hits and two walks, driving in a run in the win.

Former Giants right-hander Russ Ortiz (3-4) was tagged for nine hits and eight runs with five walks in a 5 2/3-inning start. Houston had entered the series winners in six of its previous eight but have managed just seven hits in the first two games versus the Giants.

The game was actually scoreless after 4 1/2 frames but the Giants scored twice in the fifth and broke it open with a six-run sixth. Sandoval knocked in Lincecum with a single to right to open the scoring, and Winn scored on a passed ball to close the fifth.

Lincecum walked for a second consecutive inning to load the bases with two outs in the sixth, and the Giants went on to rally for six runs. Rowand drove in two with a base hit to left and Winn doubled to right-center to plate two more. After Sandoval was intentionally walked, Chris Sampson came on but Bengie Molina greeted him with an RBI double and Nate Schierholtz followed with a run-scoring single to center.

Rich Aurilia added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Houston and San Francisco are meeting for the first time since the Astros took seven of the eight meetings a year ago. Houston went 3-1 at AT&T Park in 2008...Houston's Lance Berkman doubled and walked twice in four plate appearances...San Francisco reinstated Aurilia from the bereavement list and optioned infielder Matt Downs to Triple-A Fresno prior to the game...Rowand, Molina and Juan Uribe had two hits apiece for San Francisco.

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