In a battle of divisional rivals, Tim Lincecum threw 6-1/3 innings of no-hit ball for the San Francisco Giants against the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, pitching a masterpiece in an 8-1 win at Coors Field.
Giants Vs. Rockies: Tim Lincecum Dominates Colorado, Flirts With No-Hitter
With one out in the seventh, Carlos Gonzalez broke up the no-hit bid with a solid single to right field. After Troy Tulowitzki was caught looking at a 95-mph fastball on the corner, Todd Helton doubled home the Rockies' only run.
Runs weren't quite as hard to come by for the Giants, who opened the game with a barrage against Rockies starter Esmil Rogers. After a Freddy Sanchez double, Aubrey Huff singled him home. Pablo Sandoval then took a four-pitch walk -- read that last part again a few times, if you need to -- and Pat Burrell hit a moon shot into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer. Rogers was charged with all eight runs that the Giants scored.
Freddy Sanchez and Nate Schierholtz also contributed home runs, with Schierholtz's solo shot landing in the upper deck, just a few rows below the line of purple seats that designates where Coors Field rises one mile above sea level. According to Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News, the ball also landed just a few seats away from Schierholtz's brother, who promptly bought the ball for $25.
The story of the night, though, was Lincecum, who featured a 94-mph fastball, along with a devastating changeup and slider throughout the night. He finished with 10 strikeouts, tying him with Christy Mathewson on the franchise list with 28 games with 10 strikeouts or more. For perspective, this was the 126th game that Lincecum has pitched for the Giants, compared to 635 pitched by Mathewson as a Giant.
For more on the Giants and Rockies, please check out team blogs McCovey Chronicles and Purple Row.
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