After a year and a half of struggles, Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum finally showed his two-time Cy Young Award winning form on Saturday night. The 29-year-old no-hit the Padres while walking four and striking out 13.
Lincecum threw a career-high 148 pitches in the game, the most by any pitcher since Edwin Jackson threw 149 pitches in his no-hitter back in 2010. Lincecum’s previous career-high was 138 pitches, set way back in 2008. The upcoming All-Star break gives him a chance for extra rest, however.
San Diego’s best chance to break-up the no-hitter in the late innings came with two outs in the eighth, when Padres center field Alexi Amarista laced a line drive to right that Hunter Pence tracked down with a sliding catch.
The last Giant to throw a no-hitter was Matt Cain, who tossed a perfect game against the Astros last June. This was the 15th no-hitter in franchise history and the seventh since the team moved to San Francisco. Coincidentally enough, the Padres were last no-hit by none other than the Giants, with Jonathan Sanchez doing the honors in July 2009.
San Francisco won Saturday’s game 9-0 thanks in part to a bases-clearing triple by Pence and a two-run homer by Brandon Belt.
Homer Bailey of the Reds threw the first no-hitter of 2013 just 11 days ago, when he no hit these same Giants.
Source : http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/22749881/nohitter-watch-tim-lincecum-through-seven-against-padres