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 Rather, he chose to give credit to the guy who created all those
chances -- San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum.
"He doesn't give in," Sandberg said of Lincecum, who staggered
through five innings before getting 12 outs of overpowering shutout
assistance from four relievers in the Giants' 5-2 victory over the
Phillies. "He keeps throwing that changeup. It's a good one. He
makes you swing at it."
The Giants took two of three games from the Phillies and recorded
their first home series win since July 11-13. San Francisco also won
the season series from Philadelphia, 5-2.
After the Phillies put 11 runners on base against Lincecum (10-8) in
the first five innings, left-hander Javier Lopez and righties Jean
Machi, Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla combined to strike out nine
while permitting only two singles and no walks over the final four
innings.
Casilla earned his 10th save.
"They picked me up when I needed it," Lincecum said.
Red-hot left fielder Michael Morse had three hits and scored twice,
and rookie catcher Andrew Susac added two hits, including one that
drove in the eventual difference-making run for the Giants, who
hadn't recorded consecutive home wins since June 7-8.
The Giants gave their bullpen some breathing room with two sacrifice
flies in the eighth inning to open a 5-2 lead. However, the biggest
offensive play of the game for San Francisco came in the second,
when shortstop Brandon Crawford lined a single to right field with
two outs and runners on first and second.
Phillies right fielder Marlon Byrd conceded the run to Morse and
elected to shoot for Susac at third, but the strong throw got away
from third baseman Cody Asche, allowing a second run to score. That
put the Giants up 2-1.
Morse reached base all three times he came to the plate, extending
his streak to a career-best nine consecutive plate appearances.
"I don't know. I'm getting hits," Morse insisted, shrugging off a
series in which he had three singles, two doubles, a triple, a home
run and two walks. "I try not to do too much. Just try to get on
base and trust the guy behind you."
Crawford hit one of the sacrifice flies in the eighth, giving him
two RBIs in the game. Second baseman Joe Panik added two singles
before dislocating the pinky finger on his left hand. Postgame
X-rays were negative.
The win didn't come easily for Lincecum, who battled traffic on the
basepaths for five innings.
The Phillies scored single runs off the two-time former Cy Young
Award winner in the first and third, but they stranded a total of
five runners in those innings. They left runners on second and third
in the second inning, and they also had at least one baserunner in
the fourth and fifth.
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"It does get difficult at times," Lincecum said of days when he
struggles, "but you dig deep. In those tense situations, just focus.
(Count upon) the belief and the will behind each pitch."
Lincecum somehow found a way to hold the Phillies to just the two
runs in his five innings. He allowed seven hits and four walks while
striking out two.
Second baseman Chase Utley drove in Philadelphia's first-inning run
with a triple. Lincecum walked Asche with the bases loaded in the
third.
Center fielder Ben Revere, who had four hits Saturday, added three
more -- all singles -- in Sunday's loss, which was the Phillies'
fourth on their just completed five-game California swing.
"The key hit, the big extra-base hit ... they've been hard to come
by," Sandberg said. "We couldn't quite get the runs in."
Starting pitcher David Buchanan (6-7) took the loss. He gave up
three runs (two earned) on nine hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings. He
struck out four.
NOTES: Opponents hit .368 (35-for-95) in Giants RHP Tim Lincecum's
past five starts. ... Phillies 2B Chase Utley's triple was the 10th
of the season allowed by Lincecum, the most given up by any pitcher
in the majors. ... Utley extended his hitting streak to seven games.
... The nine strikeouts recorded by Giants relievers were a season
best. ... The Phillies announced they acquired 2B Jesmuel Valentin
as one of two players to be named later when they dealt RHP Roberto
Hernandez to the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month. The
20-year-old son of former major-leaguer Jose Valentin was hitting
.282 with seven home runs and 24 steals in Class A. ... RHP Sean
O'Sullivan cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to the
Phillies' Triple-A Lehigh Valley affiliate. ... Giants C Hector
Sanchez returned to San Francisco after experiencing dizziness when
hit in the facemask with a foul tip in a rehab start for Triple-A
Fresno on Saturday night. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Sanchez,
who is on the disabled list after sustaining a concussion July 25,
would undergo further tests.
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