Lincecum After Five Starts

Hard-throwing San Francisco Giant rookie, Tim Lincecum, made five starts during the month of May and has turned in the following statistical line: 33.1 IP, 22H, 11B and 33K's. Those numbers have led to an impressive 127 ERA+ to start the 23-year old's career.

Lincecum's first career start came on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball versus the Phillies on May 6th. He only lasted into the 5th inning and allowed five runs in his no decision effort. Lincecum's next four starts, though, have been very encouraging. In all four he's pitched seven complete innings and has walked only 1,1,1 and 3 batters in the starts. He dominated the Houston Astros lineup (albeit a bottom tier offensive force this season) in the span of six days by putting up a 15IP, 7H, 2BB and 14K line. Astro manager Phil Garner batted the same starting eight against him in each game with exception of Mark Loretta playing in the second game in place of Craig Biggio.

San Francisco is getting a very good cumulative effort from their current crop of five starters. Without Lincecum this rotation would be doing some nice damage but with the 5'11'' righty manning the 5th spot in the rotation the Giants could prove to be sleepers in the NL West this season.