Friday BP: #OTD - Tim Lincecum’s final strong start as a Giant

Good morning, baseball fans!

With yesterday being an off-day for the San Francisco Giants, there’s not a ton to report at the time of writing this Thursday night. So I scoured the archives to see what has happened in recent Giants history on this date.

Friends, let me tell you, the pickings were slim. There was the hit by pitch that broke Ryan Vogelsong’s hand in 2013, several cruddy losses, and then this piece from Grant Brisbee about a dazzling Tim Lincecum start against the Dodgers...in 2015.

I remember this game. Not the ins and outs of it, it’s been seven years and I have the memory of a goldfish. But I remember how I felt watching this game. It made me foolishly optimistic that this could be the new Timmy.

See, I ended up being at Lincecum’s final start in a Giants uniform. It stunk. I don’t mean in the sense that he allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in less than two innings pitched.

No, more in the sense that, although I suspected it would be, Giants fans didn’t know it was to be his last start. And then he got hit by a comebacker from D.J. LeMahieu, who was playing for the Colorado Rockies at the time (and for whom I still hold an eternal grudge against because of it). Lincecum left the game, and that was it. Giants career over. I hate that that’s the last on-field memory we have of Lincecum as a Giant.

But seeing that headline reminded me that it wasn’t all doom and gloom for him, even in 2015. Lincecum actually had a few really good starts early in that season, and this was probably the most memorable because it was against the Dodgers. Lincecum ended up going seven innings, allowing zero runs on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Now, watching that, you can see why his FIP was consistently higher than what his ERA would suggest, and I sure hope he bought Angel Pagan a nice bottle of wine after that one. But like, when I think back on that final stretch with Timmy, I’d much rather remember this game. And, you know, put the book down there.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants kick off a three-game series against the San Diego Padres tonight at 7:15 p.m. PT.