On and on it goes. Lincecum vs. Halladay didn’t quite deliver the first time. It didn’t quite deliver the second time. Lincecum vs. Lee didn’t deliver the first time.
World Series Game 5, Giants Vs. Rangers: Cliff Lee, Tim Lincecum Nearly Flawless
Lincecum vs. Lee is delivering the second time. At last, what looked to be a classic pitcher’s duel coming in has indeed turned into a classic pitcher’s duel.
Lee's sixth inning was a quick one, if a somewhat terrifying one. Aaron Rowand struck out looking on three pitches, and Andres Torres bounced a weak groundout. That brought up Freddy Sanchez, and Sanchez was able to drop a looping base hit into right, just in front of a diving Nelson Cruz.
In stood Buster Posey, and Posey drove a first-pitch fastball deep the other way. As the camera panned up and Joe Buck's voice rose, however, Cruz retreated and made a leaping catch on the track to rob Posey of extra bases and preserve the shutout.
Lincecum came out to the mound and promptly allowed a leadoff groundball single to Mitch Moreland, and for a fleeting moment you could feel like the Rangers might finally break through. Ron Washington tried to make something happen by calling for a hit-and-run with Elvis Andrus. But as Moreland took off, Andrus skied a ball to center, and Moreland had to return to first base.
The next batter, Michael Young, then stung a pitch, but he hit it right to Rowand in center field. And Josh Hamilton grounded out to second to end the frame.
Off to the seventh we go in a scoreless tie. Lee’s thrown 75 pitches, while Lincecum’s thrown 68. It doesn’t look like either of these pitchers is going to go away for quite some time.
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