by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (6/16/2013) Giants starter Tim Lincecum suffered his seventh loss Sunday night against the Braves, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on six hits and five walks while striking out three in six innings of a 3-0 game.
Lincecum (4-7) has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in each of his last three starts. He is scheduled to make his next start Friday at home against the Marlins. He is 3-3 with a 4.20 ERA in seven starts at AT&T Park.
Tim Lincecum falls again
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (6/11/2013) Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum struggled Tuesday against the Pirates, and he didn't get much help from his defense in an 8-2 loss.
Lincecum was burned by his opposing number for the game's opening runs in the second inning, as Pirates starter Gerrit Cole singled in two runs in his first major-league at bat. Lincecum allowed four hits and two runs in that inning, his worst of the game. The defense proved to be an issue in the fifth, as two unearned runs came around to score on an error by right fielder Hunter Pence.
Lincecum allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings, but only two were earned. He gave up seven hits and two walks in the outing, as he took his sixth loss of the season.
Lincecum is now 4-6 with a 4.70 ERA, though he has lost four of his last five decisions. He will try to get back on track in his next start, scheduled for Sunday against Atlanta.
Tim Lincecum credits curve for recent success
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (6/10/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum felt good with all four of his pitches during his last start, but relied on his curve more often than usual, according to the Oakland Tribune.
Lincecum threw 21 curveballs. He leaned on the curve about as much as he used the changeup, which is typically his best pitch. While it was unusual for Lincecum to rely on his curve that much, manager Bruce Bochy explained Lincecum just throws whatever feels good that day. "Timmy is one of those guys that when it's working for him, he uses it. That game (on Tuesday), he used his curveball a lot," Bochy said.
Lincecum hopes to take that curve and his three other offerings into Tuesday's start against the Pirates. Lincecum will face off against prospect Gerrit Cole.
Fastball key to Tim Lincecum's success Tuesday
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (6/5/2013) Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum opened June with an impressive seven-inning outing Tuesday against the Blue Jays. It came on the heels of Lincecum going 1-4 with a 6.37 ERA in May.
After Tuesday's win, Lincecum broke down why he was able to have success against Toronto.
"Working my fastball to both sides of the plate, that was the biggest thing (Tuesday)," Lincecum said, per MLB.com. "It opened up my secondary pitches. I expanded the zone and tried to stay aggressive."
Lincecum, however, isn't content after one promising start.
"I still have a lot of work to do," he said. "I've said it before, I'm not jumping up and down right now. I'm just happy with what we did today. Tomorrow's another day of work."
Tim Lincecum bounces back vs. Blue Jays
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (6/5/2013) Giants starter Tim Lincecum snapped a three-game losing streak as he bounced back with a dominant outing in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays.
Lincecum (4-5) surrendered a solo home run to Edwin Encarnacion for his only damage of the night. The right-hander limited the Blue Jays to just one run on three hits and one walk while striking out six in seven innings of work.
Lincecum has allowed one earned run or fewer in all four of his wins this season. His ERA dropped from 5.12 to 4.75 after his bounce-back performance. He is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. He is 1-2 with a 5.67 ERA in five starts away from AT&T Park.
Giants will keep Tim Lincecum in rotation
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (6/3/2013) Giants manager Bruce Bochy told MLB.com Sunday that pitcher Tim Lincecum will not be removed from the starting rotation despite his recent struggles. Using Lincecum as a reliever would be "Plan C," Bochy said.
However, a team source told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area Sunday that Lincecum would be moved to the bullpen "in a heartbeat," if the club had a suitable replacement for him in the rotation. Lincecum is 1-4 with a 6.37 ERA in his last six starts.
Tim Lincecum 'very open' to relieving
by Jack Moore | CBSSports.com (6/2/2013) Giants starter Tim Lincecum said he is "very open" to switching to a relief role at some point in his career, CSN San Francisco reports.
Lincecum said he remains committed to righting the ship as a starter, but he owns a brutal 5.16 ERA in 44 starts since 2012. Talk of moving him to the bullpen has been alive since his days as a prospect due to his unorthodox form and slight frame. Lincecum was excellent as a reliever in the postseason last year, as he posted a 2.55 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 17 2/3 innings.
Tim Lincecum struggles in loss
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (5/30/2013) Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum couldn't make it through the fifth inning against the A's Wednesday, surrendering six runs (five earned) on seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings of work while striking out four. He was saddled with the loss, dropping him to 3-5 and giving him a 5.12 ERA this season.
Lincecum has given up five earned runs or more in four of his last six starts, though Wednesday's start was the first in May in which he walked at least four batters. He's scheulded to take the hill Tuesday against the Blue Jays.
Tim Lincecum loses again to Rockies
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/25/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum endured a rough outing as he suffered his fourth loss of the season Friday night against the Rockies.
Lincecum (3-4), who made his 10th start of the season, gave up a two-run double to Michael Cuddyer in the first and a solo home run to Cuddyer in the sixth. The right-hander was charged with four runs and seven hits over seven innings. He struck out eight and walked two in a 5-0 loss.
Lincecum has allowed 10 runs over his last 12 innings of work -- all surrendered against the Rockies. He will try to bounce back Wednesday at home against Oakland. He is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA in his last five starts against the A's.
Tim Lincecum hit hard vs. Rockies
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/18/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum suffered his third loss Saturday night against the Rockies.
Lincecum (3-3) surrendered three runs in the third and a two-run home run to Wilin Rosario in the fifth. The right-hander was charged with six runs and seven hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked two in a 10-2 loss.
Lincecum will get another crack at the Rockies in his next start Friday at AT&T Park. He is 2-1 with a 3.71 ERA in four starts at home.
Tim Lincecum snaps losing skid
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/12/2013) Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum, who was winless over his previous three starts, allowed a season-low two hits over seven innings in a 5-1 win in Sunday's series finale against the Braves.
The right-hander retired 12-straight batters until a two-out walk to B.J. Upton in the seventh. He was pulled after throwing 111 pitches, 65 for strikes.
Lincecum (3-2) finished with seven strikeouts and three walks. He's scheduled to face the Rockies in Colorado next Thursday. Lincecum is 6-3 with a 4.11 ERA in 13 career starts at Coors Field.
Tim Lincecum goes seven in loss
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/8/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum took his second loss on Tuesday night against the Phillies. He allowed five runs on nine hits over seven innings of work in the 6-2 defeat.
The right-hander gave up a run in the first before getting tagged with a two-spot the following frame. He would surrender a solo homer to Chase Utley in the fifth before being charged with his final damage in the seventh.
Lincecum, who threw 114 pitches, also struck out seven and walked three.
His next start is scheduled for Sunday against the Braves.
Looking ahead at Tim Lincecum's week
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (5/4/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum pitches twice in Week 6 (May 6-12), which is only enough to make him a marginal starting option in mixed-league Fantasy formats, according to Al Melchior. In his Week 6 Pitching Forecaster, Al ranks Lincecum 59th among all starting pitchers, with a pair of matchups at home against the Phillies and Braves.
Lincecum is still striking out a healthy amount of batters, but his sketchy control continues to hinder his Fantasy potential. He has a 4.41 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, both of which are slight improvements over his numbers from a year ago.
Both Atlanta and Philly rank below the league average in runs scored per game, and facing them in pitcher-friendly AT&T park should keep him from flaming out. His strikeout totals should be enough to overcome the ugly WHIP he is likely to throw up on the board, making him worth starting in many formats. But he is obviously no longer a must-start option, even when he has two starts on the schedule.
Tim Lincecum Ks six in no-decision
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/2/2013) After giving up just two runs over his previous two outings, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum got knocked around by the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. He allowed five runs on 10 hits over five innings of work.
The right-hander surrendered a three-run homer to Cliff Pennington in the second before giving up an RBI double to Eric Chavez in the fourth. He was tagged with his final damage the following frame and was done after throwing 86 pitches, 58 for strikes.
Lincecum left in line for the loss but luckily his teammates were able to battle back to take the lead. He also struck out six with no walks in the no-decision.
His next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Phillies. In two starts against Philadelphia last season, Lincecum went 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA.
Tim Lincecum Ks nine in losing effort
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/27/2013) Giants starter Tim Lincecum turned in another solid performance but dropped his first decision of the season Friday night against the Padres.
Lincecum (2-1), who made his fifth start of the season, surrendered run-scoring singles to Carlos Quentin and Yonder Alonso in the third inning. The right-hander was charged with two runs and six hits in seven innings of work in a 2-1 defeat. He struck out nine and walked three in 105 pitches, 64 strikes.
Lincecum has a 3.64 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He is scheduled to start Wednesday at Arizona. The 28-year-old is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in his last five starts at Chase Field.
Tim Lincecum offers some reason for optimism
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (4/23/2013) If you've read my latest Reality Check, you know I'm somewhat encouraged by Tim Lincecum's latest start Saturday against the Padres. Though his diminished velocity gets most of the blame for his demise over the last couple years, I'm beginning to think the bigger issue is his inability to throw strikes.
Granted, his diminished velocity may be discouraging him from throwing strikes, but when he trusts in his reduced stuff, it usually works out for him, as we saw in his latest start and during the Giants' postseason run last year.
If his stuff was all that bad, he wouldn't get the strikeouts he does. Granted, it's not retro-Lincecum good, but it's good enough that I see him as having more upside than Jonathon Niese and Marco Estrada.
Tim Lincecum bounces back with sharp outing
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/21/2013) After allowing two homers his last time out, Giants starter Tim Lincecum bounced back with a sharp performance as he picked up his second win of the season Saturday night against the Padres.
Lincecum (2-0), who made his fourth start of the season, struck out eight and tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory. He also walked two in 95 pitches, 58 strikes. The right-hander lowered his ERA from 5.63 to 3.97.
Lincecum is expected to make his next start Friday night in a rematch against the Padres at Petco Field. He is 3-0 with a 3.09 ERA in his last five starts at Petco Field.
Tim Lincecum serves up pair of homers early on
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/14/2013) Giants starter Tim Lincecum had a hard time keeping the ball in the park as he settled for a no-decision Sunday afternoon against the Cubs.
Lincecum, who made his third start of the season, served up two-run home runs to Starlin Castro and Nate Schierholtz in the opening frame. The right-hander settled down and was charged with four runs on six hits in five innings of work. He also struck out four and walked one in 78 pitches, 51 strikes.
Lincecum has a 5.63 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP through three starts. He'll try to get back in the win column Saturday at home against the Padres. He went 1-1 with a 4.74 ERA in four starts against San Diego last season.
Not ready to give up on Tim Lincecum
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (4/10/2013) Sure it's been ugly, particularly in terms of the walks, and no, his velocity isn't any better than it was last year. But after helping lead the charge against him then, I'm just not ready to pull the plug on the Giants' Tim Lincecum this time around.
Perhaps his postseason dominance was enough to convince me his problems are more mental than physical. That's what he and most within the Giants organization seem to believe. And for the most part, the numbers back it up. Much like last year, Lincecum has struck out a batter per inning, and he's allowed only seven hits in 11 innings. Both numbers suggest good stuff.
It's just those walks. They need to stop. I'm not saying Lincecum is back to being an ace if they do -- the reduced velocity is still a concern -- but I suspect he could at least be a Lance Lynn type.
Tim Lincecum Ks seven in shaky no-decision
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (4/10/2013) Giants starter Tim Lincecum didn't put his best foot forward Tuesday night at home against the Rockies. He was lucky to walk away with a no-decision.
Lincecum gave up five runs in the second inning as the Rockies came up with some timely hits. He also gave up a Troy Tulowitzki homer in the fifth and allowed six runs on four hits and four walks through six frames.
Lincecum did manage seven strikeouts over his 104 pitches. His ERA after two starts stands at 4.91. The former ace was shaky in going five innings allowing only two unearned runs in his debut in Los Angeles.
The good news is he's struck out 11 over 11 innings but the bad news is he's also walked 11 batters over that span. He'll look to get a little sharper his next time out, currently scheduled for Sunday in Chicago.
Tim Lincecum will have two chances to prove himself in Week Two
by Joe Polito | CBSSports.com (4/5/2013) A win’s a win, but Wednesday night’s decision over the Dodgers probably wasn’t enough to convince Fantasy owners that Tim Lincecum has started a bounce-back year. His 91-pitch outing ended in a 5-3 win for the Giants, but saw Lincecum give up a career-worst seven walks.
As a two-start pitcher next week, Lincecum will try to hold off the Rockies Tuesday before facing the Cubs Sunday. Lincecum is owned in 98 percent of leagues, meaning most think he still has what it takes. But owners just aren’t sure when he’ll return to form, as he’s only being started in 68 percent of leagues.
Tim Lincecum effectively wild in win
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/4/2013) Giants starter Tim Lincecum was wild in his season debut against the Dodgers Wednesday night but was able to limit most of his damage. He allowed two unearned runs on three hits with seven walks over five innings in the 5-3 win.
A run scored on a passed ball in the first for his only damage over the first four frames. In the fifth, Lincecum walked the leadoff batter before an error put two men on. Luis Cruz followed with a sac fly.
Lincecum also struck out four while throwing 91 pitches, 46 for strikes, in the victory.
Tim Lincecum allows five runs in final spring start
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (3/29/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum surrendered five earned runs on five hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings against the A's Thursday. However, the ugly day actually lowered his spring ERA to 10.57 through 15 1/3 innings. On a positive note, Lincecum did strike out six batters, giving him 16 strikeouts this spring.
Please stop hyping Tim Lincecum
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (3/24/2013) I didn't buy the Tim Lincecum hype before the spring and I'm definitely not buying it now watching him labor through exhibition games.
I know what you're going through as a Fantasy owner. You want to believe the old Lincecum has returned and are willing to reach for him on Draft Day, but I'm going to rattle off a list of starting pitchers being drafted around the same time Lincecum that I'd rather have over the former ace of the Giants' rotation.
They are (in no particular order) Brandon Morrow, Jon Lester, Doug Fister, Mike Minor, Clay Buchholz, Lance Lynn, Anibal Sanchez, Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Harvey, Mike Fiers and Brett Anderson.
Given Lincecum's upside and the fact he still has a great strikeout rate, it's not egregious he's being drafted around the players I listed above. Though, I do feel his average draft position in Head-to-Head and Rotisserie formats needs to drop, and I'm also willing to continue to let other Fantasy owners fight over Linceum and pick off other potential sleepers.
Tim Lincecum knocked around again
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (3/23/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum was hit hard in Saturday's Cactus League game against the A's. Lincecum, who made his fourth start of the spring, allowed a two-run home run to Yoenis Cespedes in the first and a run-scoring single to Eric Sogard in the second. He also gave up two runs in the fourth before being pulled. He yielded five runs on six hits in three innings of a 12-5 loss. Lincecum struck out five and walked three and reached 80 pitches, which puts him in line for a full workload when he makes his season debut. He has allowed at least three runs in three of his four outings.
"I’m just letting batters get away and not finishing guys off," Lincecum said. "It goes back to location. I’m not repeating my mechanics, but I don’t feel like I’m too far off."
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (3/17/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum got off to a rough start in Sunday's Cactus League outing against the Rockies but was able to settle down. He allowed two runs on three hits over four innings of work. Lincecum retired the first two batters he faced before issuing a two-out walk to Carlos Gonzalez in the first. The right-hander then surrendered back-to-back doubles, plating two runs. Lincecum cruised after that and walked three in total while striking out one. He has a 9.39 ERA through three spring starts with a 4-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 7 2/3 innings pitched.
“Things started to come out of my hand better,” Lincecum told CSN Bay Area “It came down to spotting the fastball. The curves were not necessarily strikes but they were swinging at them.”
Lincecum pitches through blisters
(3/12/2013) After being pushed back due to blisters, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum made his second start of the Cactus League on Tuesday night against the Padres. He allowed two runs on four hits over 2 1/3 innings. Lincecum also struck out three and walked one while throwing 43 pitches, 26 for strikes.
Lincecum ready to return
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/9/2013) Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum (finger) declared himself healthy after completing a simulated game without any noted issues, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Lincecum was scratched from his last two starts because of a blister on the middle finger of his right hand, but will take the hill Tuesday in Cactus League action. "I'm looking forward to getting back to normal," he said after throwing 32 pitches Saturday.
Lincecum pushed back again
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (3/8/2013) The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum, who is dealing with blisters on his finger, will not pitch in a Cactus League game Saturday, instead, he'll throw a simulated game so that the staff can control his pitches. He is scheduled to make his second spring appearance Tuesday night.
Lincecum scratched again
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (3/7/2013) Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday in Cactus League action, the second time he has been scratched due to ongoing blister issues. The issue has not been considered serious, however this is the second time in five days that he has been set down. He was able to throw off a mound with know issues later in the day Thursday, and he said he has been doing better since initially being diagnosed with the injury. Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters Lincecum will try to get into a game Saturday.
Lincecum develops blisters
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/2/2013) Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum is dealing with blisters on his finger, reports CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman Saturday. Lincecum was scratched from Saturday's start and is day to day. It is not considered a big issue and is an annual thing for Lincecum in spring training. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said he believes Lincecum will only miss a couple days after receiving treatment Saturday.
Lincecum off to rough start
(2/26/2013) Coming off the worst campaign of his career, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum did not have the kind of Cactus League debut he would have liked on Tuesday against the Dodgers. He allowed three runs on four hits over 1 1/3 innings. The right-hander also struck out one while throwing 10 pitches, all for strikes. Despite the results, Lincecum told the Oakland Tribune that he was fine with the outing. "It's just a good sign to feel like the ball is coming out of your hand better than the year before," Lincecum said. "Mechanically, I felt really good. The timing of my arm was good. It didn't feel like I was getting out of whack. I was still holding my mechanics."
Lincecum tabbed a third starter
(2/22/2013) Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced on Friday that Tim Lincecum will will be the third starter when camp breaks. Matt Cain will get the nod on opening day followed by Madison Bumgarner, Lincecum, Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong. Lincecum endured the worst campaign of his career last season, going 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA in 33 starts. "I don't want these guys to get caught in it, and I don't want to send that message either," Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle. "At the end of the year, if they're all healthy, knock on wood, they'll all have the same number of starts."
Lincecum wants to be 'elite'
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/10/2013) Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum has one goal in mind as spring training begins. "I'm hoping to get back on that horse, be in the center of the rotation again and restake my claim as a starting pitcher," Lincecum said, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "And a good one." Lincecum had his worst season as a pro in 2012, going 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA in 33 regular season starts before shifting to the bullpen for the postseason. "Last year was tough to swallow," he said. "When you're used to things going well and all of a sudden they're not going well, you start questioning yourself and doubting yourself. You start feeding off negatives and that turns into a spiral." Lincecum performed well in a relief role in the postseason, which has given him renewed confidence. "But right now my perspective isn't to be in the bullpen," he said "I want to be a starter and get back to that elite status I once had."
