Tim Lincecum frustratingly pitched five innings of dominant baseball. His fastball was 91 in the first inning, where it had typically been 88 and only touched the 90s late in ball games. The Rockies swung and missed at 14 of Lincecum’s pitches and once again he struck out as many batters as innings pitched. The stuff is still there. But later in the game, the Rockies began to chip away at Lincecum’s tattered armor. Lincecum allowed ten baserunners in seven innings, with the Giants defense tacking on two extra runners with two errors. I still think Lincecum can xFIP his way back into being an All-Star caliber pitcher, but only if the bad breaks on defense and the bloop doubles cooperate.

Lincecum may have avoided his eventual no-decision if not for Angel Pagan’s gamble in center field. So far this season Pagan has proven almost certainly that he does not have the defensive pedigree that Andres Torres has and moreso that despite his speed he may be a below-average center fielder. However, Willie Mays isn’t walking through that door. Pagan is the only everyday option in center, with Cabrera’s arm more suited for a corner spot and Blanco lacking play-making ability out in the field.

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The Giants lineup is better with Waldis Joaquin Arias in it. I repeat, the Giants lineup is better with Joaquin Arias in it. Charlie Culberson is young, handsome, and thanks to CSN I know he has a lovely wife with a baby on the way. I’ll still take heathen and family-less Arias. I’m just assuming the latter because CSN would tell us if he was married to a gamer babe.

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Those of you who called for Sergio Romo and not Santiago Casilla to start the 9th inning can take your Gray’s Sports Almanac and hitch a ride in your DeLorean back to 2015. It was Marco effing Scutaro. Who would fit nicely on the Giants.

We’re Going Streaking:

109: The number of consecutive at-bats by Manny Burriss since his last extra-base hit 1: Career triples

1: Career home runs

Brandon Watch 2012: Crawford: Reached base in four of five plate apperances, raising his slash line to .225/.275/.333. If his defense had been sparkling and glittery all season, I would declare this experiment a success. In a homerless Juan Uribe sort of way. But until the errors stop and unicorns bless his glove with fairy dust, I still have my reservations about Brandon Crawford.

Belt: 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, RBI sacrifice fly. What the heck do you do with this game? Belt fared situationally well in his first few at-bats, scoring a runner from third on a fly ball and putting pressure on the Rockies by drawing walks. But in the two at-bats where he struck out, Belt looked like you or me out there. Ok, so I may not have swung at all, but if I did it would look similar to Belt’s hacks. Considering how much Bochy hates walks and youngsters, I don’t think Belt gets too many looks this week. And I don’t even know if that angers me any more.

Krukow’s Quote of the Day: “He let out some shaft there”

Tim Lincecum frustratingly pitched five innings of dominant baseball. His fastball was 91 in the first inning, where it had typically been 88 and only touched the 90s late in ball games. The Rockies swung and missed at 14 of Lincecum’s pitches and once again he struck out as many batters as innings pitched. The . . . → Read More: POSTGAME WRAP: Scutaro’d