clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Tim Lincecum pitches three scoreless, Giants win 5-0

I had a non-refundable flight to Hawaii booked for late October. I cancelled it.

By Grant Brisbee
From last year, but bear with me. It's all I have. Pretend the long hair is a mustache.
From last year, but bear with me. It's all I have. Pretend the long hair is a mustache.
Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Fire up the starting-pitcher tally!

Giants starters in the Cactus League
IP: 23
R: 1
H: 13
BB: 3
K: 12

Totally and completely sustainable. You know that stuff where I pretend the spring is meaningless? That's because I'm scared to write what I really think. This start is real. The Giants have figured out a way to allow one run for every 23 innings they pitch, and it's going to help them quite a bit when the season starts. It's going to be so awesome, everyone.

Tim Lincecum threw three scoreless innings, throwing 26 strikes out of 35 pitches -- 74 percent. Just eyeballing it, I don't he had that kind of command in any game last season. Just ignore that he probably couldn't have kept it up for four more innings. Lincecum with a modicum of command is a good pitcher. I can appreciate three innings of that in the spring, even if -- wait for it -- it doesn't mean anything.

The most important development, though, was the Giants played in Surprise!, which has a radar gun for MLB Gameday. Lincecum's first pitch was 90, he touched 92 in the first, and he sat at 89 for the rest of the game. So last year, basically. It's still early, but I'm starting to think that velocity isn't walking through that door. Give it a couple more years just to make sure.

Happy fun facts

  • Derrreeeeeek Laaaawwwwwwwww. Derek Law. Derek Law. The official bullpen candidate of McCovey Chronicles pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two. He did it on 10 pitches. Derrrrrrek Lawwwwwwww.

    The first out was a K on five pitches, all fastballs. The fastballs were 94 m.p.h.

    The second out was a first-pitch grounder. It came on a 94-m.p.h. fastball.

    The third out was a strikeout on four pitches. The last three were classified as 83-m.p.h. curveballs by Gameday.

    Derek Law! This is from the AFL, but I'll include it anyway:

    Derek Law!

  • Hunter Pence hit a ball really, really far.

  • Mark Minicozzi hit another home run. Finally, a Brian Dallimore for the modern age.

Grist for the pessimist mill

  • Nothin'.

  • Playoff baseball is so rad, I'm so excited

  • What a season the Giants are going to have. You can tell because of spring stats

    • Happy fun facts remain undefeated, moving to 7-0. This is probably the most fun we're going to have all season, so if you're pretending not to enjoy it now, you're doing yourself a disservice.

    More From McCovey Chronicles