Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.You Oughta Know ...
That reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is actually better this year, which makes it seem like a long time ago that we wondered how he'd top his 2008 season. Lincecum has erased all memory of that slow start by stringing together 23 consecutive scoreless innings, including seven against the Astros on Saturday.
Lincecum is now 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA, lower than last year's 2.64 ERA. He's looking like a strong candidate to start the All-Star Game in St. Louis, which would be a nice way of making up for last year. Lincecum was picked to go to the game in New York, but he was too sick to attend.
"It would mean a lot -- the hard work paid off," said Lincecum. "If I do happen to start, it will make up for the fact I didn't even make it to the field last year."As a team, the Giants have now pitched two shutouts in a row for the second time in a week. Previously, they hadn't done it since 2002.
From The Trainer's Room ...
Yankees righty Chien-Ming Wang had to leave the game with a injury, which a subsequent MRI exam showed to be a strained right shoulder and bursitis. The Yankees will put Wang on the DL, but there's was no announcement who will start in his place. They expect him back in a month.
"It was unfortunate because I thought today was his best start (four runs in 5 1/3 innings)," said manager Joe Girardi. "He'll need some rest."Numbers Game ...
Braves right-hander Tommy Hanson extended his scoreless innings streak to 26 before giving up Adam Dunn's seventh-inning homer (career No. 300). Hanson came up just one inning short of the Braves' rookie record, set by Steve Bedrosian in 1982.
In Their Own Words ...
"It's part of the game. If you get a hit, they want to clap. If you strike out, they want to boo." -- Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano, who was booed while running his hitless streak to 16 at-bats. Soriano has been dropped to sixth in the Cubs batting order. Manager Lou Piniella has asked him to make some adjustments to his stance.
Advance Scouting ...
Johan Santana has never lost to the Phillies, and the Mets sure could use a victory against them Sunday (1:35 PM ET). The Mets have lost the first two games of this weekend series against the NL East leaders. Even though they're only three games out, and it's not even the All-Star break yet, you know that the New York media and the Mets fans are going to be wigging out if they get swept.
