Randy Johnson and Tim Lincecum continued their dominant stretches as the Giants rallied from an early loss to take two of three from the Athletics in Oakland. 

In the opener, the Athletics rallied from a solo homerun by Travis Ishikawa (4) to take the game 5-1.   Former Giant Rajai Davis tripled and scored twice, Orlando Cabrera doubled twice, and rookie Trevor Cahill (5-5) pitched seven quality innings as the Athletics sent Jonathan Sanchez (2-8) to his fourth consecutive loss.   Cahill was stingy, only allowing four hits and one run while striking out four.  Brad Ziegler pitched two innings for the save, his sixth on the season.

In the middle game, Tim Lincecum (7-2) shone, pitching a complete game,  striking out twelve, and only surrendering a solo homerun to Jason Giambi (10) as the Giants prevailed 4-1.  The Giants got to Vin Mazarro (2-2) early, scoring twice in the first and second innings on RBI doubles by Pablo Sandoval and Edgar Renteria and sacrifice flies by Benjie Molina and rookie Matt Downs.  Lincecum was helped out of two late jams by double plays as he completed his second game of the season, both against Oakland. 

In the rubber match, Randy Johnson (7-5) threw seven dominant innings and Nate Schierholtz smacked a two run homerun as the Giants feasted off Gio Gonzalez (0-1) for ten hits and six runs over 3 2/3 innings en route to a 6-3 victory.   Aaron Rowand added an RBI double.  Brian Wilson pitched the final out for his 20th save of the season. 

Nice to see the Giants pitching step up to the plate for them.  You knew that Lincecum was going to be mad after his loss to the Angels.  He let nobody down this series.  Johnson looked good, too.  The kids are getting some looks.  Schierholtz smacked the ball around and Ishikawa kept up his torrid stretch.  Per Sandoval, he is bashing.  This guy is definitely an incredible all round hitter.  My only complaint is Sanchez.  He just looks lost out there.  One thing goes wrong, such as not getting a strike called, and he seems to flip out and walk the world.  Perhaps he could use some time in Fresno, getting his psyche in order.  If he goes down, Kevin Pucetas is ready.  If not Pucetas, there’s a handful of others who could be up to the task.  Just something to keep in mind.  If they got dominant starts, consistently, out of all five pitchers, this team could really be rolling.  As of right now, it’s four good starts (even from Zito) and then a consistent hiccup.  That’s not good. 

Good news for San Francisco.   After the series, they now stand at 39-32 on the season.  That’s good enough for:  1) the second best record in the National League and 2) the current wild card lead.  They also now stand seven games behind the Dodgers for the National League West lead.  Nice stuff.  Whoda thunk this could have happened before the season?

The Giants, finished with interleague play for the season, will next travel to Milwaukee to play the Brewers on Friday.  The Athletics will host the Colorado Rockies Friday night. 

Matt Cain threw six shutout innings and Benjie Molina homered twice as the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 8-3 to earn a split in the mid-week, two game series.  Molina hit blasts in the second and third innings as the Giants opened up an early 5-0 lead against Colorado starter Jason Marquis (4-2).  Cain (3-1) benefitted from a double play to work around three first inning walks.  He allowed only one hit, a leadoff Todd Helton single in the fourth.  

In the first game, the Rockies used a ten run explosion between the fifth and eighth innings to trounce Randy Johnson (2-3) and the Giants, 11-1.  Todd Helton, Matt Murton, and Yorvit Torrealba homered to back a dominating seven inning, five hit performance by Ubaldo Jimenez (2-4), who won for the first time in about a month.   For the first time since 2006, Johnson didn’t strike out a batter in a start. 

The Giants will travel to Los Angeles next to play the Dodgers.  The Rockies will play host to the Florida Marlins. 

Backed by a three run, first inning homerun by Benjie Molina and a dominating performance by Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, the San Francisco Giants beat the Cubs 6-2 to earn a split in the series and end Chicago’s four game winning streak. 

Lincecum struck out seven Cubs in seven innings, surrendering only four hits, two walks, and two runs in his fourth consecutive quality start.  It was also Lincecum’s third consecutive victory (3-1) after two shaky starts to begin the year.  Molina’s homer, his fifth on the season, provided enough runs to make a loser of starter Sean Marshall (0-2).   The Giants added three in the eighth with an two run double by Aaron Rowand and a run scoring single by Randy Winn for the final margin.

In the opener, the Cubs took advantage of wildness (six walks in four innings) by Giant starter Jonathan Sanchez (1-2) and Ryan Theriot hit his third homerun of the season en route to a 4-2 Chicago victory.   Ryan Dempster (2-1) pitched seven solid innings for the win and Kevin Gregg closed out the ninth for his fourth save of the season.

The Chicago Cubs will travel to Houston to take on the Astros on Wednesday night.  The San Francisco Giants go to Denver to face the Colorado Rockies with Randy Johnson scheduled to start Wednesday. 

All in all, not a horribly exciting series.  It was nice to see a split over a sweep, however.  This was the get away day to get away.   Horrible lineup.  Am a bit shocked they put up six.  At least it appears that the Cubs were also answering with a skeleton crew.  Lincecum’s still a stud and showed it again today.  Sanchez would have been good, if not for the walks.  With them, he was horribly vulnerable.  Very unfortunate.  He needs to get that under control. 

Pinch hitter Rich Aurilia singled home catcher Steve Holm in the bottom of the tenth, giving the Giants a 1-0 extra innings victory over the Colorado Rockies.  The win showcased another outstanding effort by starter Barry Zito who, in spite of another no-decision, turned in his third consecutive quality appearance, throwing seven shutout innings while surrendering only two hits.  With the outcome, the Giants won their fifth consecutive series, taking two of three at home against the division rivals. 

In the opener, Randy Johnson struck out nine in seven shutout innings, stingily allowing only four hits and walking none as the Giants rode and RBI double by Travis Ishikawa and sacrifice flies by Randy Winn and Bengie Molina to a 3-2 victory.  Brian Wilson tallied his sixth save of the season, closing out the Rockies in the ninth after quelling an eighth inning uprising against Bob Howry and Jeremy Affeldt with a bases loaded strikeout of Ryan Spilborghs.  

In the middle game, Spilborghs got a measure of revenge, homering twice off Matt Cain, as the Rockies topped the tally, 5-1.  Starter Jason Marquis threw a complete game five-hitter, surrendering only a ninth inning homerun to Pablo Sandoval.  Brad Hawpe also homered to back Marquis. 

I was impressed by the Giants starting pitching (again) this series.  Zito and Johnson were dominant.  For Zito, he did it with Steve Holm behind the dish, showing that perhaps his recent success was more than just Sandoval catching.  Hopefully he can continue it with Molina as his backstop.  Also, though it was the first time in five starts this season that Cain wasn’t dominant, aside from the homers, he only allowed four other hits and four walks.  An off day, but for a three, such an off day is acceptable every now and again.  Finally, it’s nice to see Fred Lewis and Ishikawa making some solid contact.  Ditto Nate Schierholtz.  On an injury note, Winn sat out the final game of the series with a sore side.   We’ll watch that one and keep you posted. 

The Giants will next travel to Chicago for a two game set against the Cubs.   The Rockies will go down the shore to San Diego for a two game series against the Padres. 

Tim Lincecum spent the entire evening throwing bb’s past the bemused Los Angeles Dodgers and Benjie Molina drove in four runs as the Giants won the rubber game of the teams’ three game set with a convincing 9-4 victory. 

Lincecum was practically unhittable until the eighth inning, when the Dodgers loaded the bases with none out, eventually going on to score three times along with giving the starter a ticket to the showers.  After Jeremy Affeldt induced a double play, closer Brian Wilson got the final out of the inning, then pitched the ninth, surrending one run, for his fifth save of the season.  Edgar Renteria gathered four hits on the evening while Molina tripled and homered.  The much ballyhooed matchup between Lincecum and LA’s Manny Ramirez ended with the slugger 1 for 3 with a single and walk.  Hence, the outcome of that rivalry is obviously still in the air.

The opener saw Barry Zito with his second consecutive solid outing, carrying a 3-0 shutout into the seventh.  In that set, the Dodgers rallied, highlighted by a two run Casey Blake homer to chase Zito.  Reliever Merkin Valdez couldn’t put out the fire in the inning, surrendering the lead and allowing a 4-3 deficit, after a Manny Ramirez RBI single, and leaving the reliever on the hook for the decision.  However, the Giant bats came alive in the bottom of the eighth.  After singles by Fred Lewis and Renteria, Randy Winn struck out.  Then, with runners on the corners, Rich Aurilia, inexplicably starting at cleanup, hit a dribbler up the first base line.  Dodger reliever Ronald Belisario gloved the ball and attempted to flip it to catcher Russell Martin.  The ball had air under it and Martin was unable to handle it cleanly, allowing Lewis to score with Aurilia ending up at first.  After a wild pitch, Molina grounded out to third, bringing Renteria home, and giving the Giants the lead, 5-4.  Brian Wilson struck out the side in order in the ninth for the save.

The middle game saw a dominating performance by Chad Billingsley as the Dodger ace threw 7 1/3 quality innings before being chased in the eighth with the Giants tying the score at three.  The bullpen unraveled in the top of the ninth and the Dodgers scored twice, leading to a final score of 5-3 in favor of Los Angeles.

All in all, the series gives the Giants much to grow on.  It’s their fourth straight series win.  Also, Pablo Sandoval’s officially hot.  However, he ended up leaving Wednesday’s game with a tight groin and will be day to day.  Zito’s outing featured Sandoval at catcher.  I think it evidences that these two need to be paired every fifth day.   Going back to last season, Zito pitches better when Sandoval’s behind the plate.  Something the team needs to keep in mind.

The Giants start their next series on Friday when they play host to the Colorado Rockies.  The Dodgers will host the San Diego Padres on Thursday evening.