San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum dominates the San Diego Padres. He threw his second no-hitter against them on Wednesday. The Giants won the game 4-0.
Lincecum, who also no-hit the Padres last year, became the second pitcher in baseball history to no-hit the same team twice. Hall of Famer Addie Joss did this feat against the Chicago White Sox for the Cleveland Indians in 1908 and 1910, according to The Associated Press.
Lincecum threw 113 pitches and allowed just one walk, which came in the second inning to Chase Headley. He retired the final 23 batters he faced. In the no-hitter last year, he tossed 148 pitches.
“He pitched very efficiently, had all his pitches working,” manager Bruce Bochy said in his postgame press conference on MLB.com. “Early in the game, I said: ‘He’s got a chance to throw a no-hitter here.’ Just the way he was locked in and had everything working for him. It’s hard enough to do one; to do two that puts you in a little different class.”
This gem is the 16th no-no in Giants history. Lincecum joins Christy Matthewson as the only Giants to toss two no-hitters. Matthewson’s pair came in 1901 and 1905.
The Giants offense got on the board in the second inning when Hector Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Brandon Crawford. The following inning, Pablo Sandoval smacked a double to center that brought Lincecum home.
In the seventh, Buster Posey crushed a double to deep center that drove in Lincecum and Hunter Pence.
Lincecum, who recorded two hits and scored two runs, became the fifth pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter and get two hits in the same game and the first one to do it in 43 years.