Lincecum To Start World Series Opener For Giants
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Tim Lincecum is the Game 1 guy for the Giants again.
Lincecum will start Wednesday night's World Series opener for San Francisco against the Texas Rangers. Fellow right-hander Matt Cain will follow in Game 2 on Thursday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Monday.
While the Giants considered going to Cain for the opener, Bochy said Lincecum will be well rested despite briefly pitching in relief Saturday night in the NL championship series clincher at Philadelphia.
"We just kept things in order and let Timmy have the first one," Bochy said before his team's workout Monday night at AT&T Park. "Matt hasn't pitched in a while. He didn't have to pitch in that seventh game, so he's ready. Jonny just threw. Matt's one of our guys, too."
When the series shifts to Arlington, Jonathan Sanchez will start Game 3 on Saturday and Madison Bumgarner will be on the mound for Game 4 on Sunday. In the NLCS, Bochy broke up his righties and lefties—going with Lincecum, lefty Sanchez and then Cain and the left-handed Bumgarner.
Cliff Lee starts the opener for Texas, making it a matchup of Cy Young Award winners. Lee won the 2008 AL Cy Young for Cleveland. Lincecum has won the last two NL awards.
The 26-year-old Lincecum will be the first Giants pitcher to start a World Series opener at home since Billy O'Dell lost to the Yankees' Whitey Ford at Candlestick Park in 1962.
Lincecum, who wasn't available for interviews until Tuesday's workout day, has never faced Texas.
Cain has pitched against the Rangers once, allowing one run on three hits over eight innings and getting a no-decision in the Giants' 2-1, 11-inning win on June 20 last year.
Sanchez has faced the Rangers just once, winning with two-thirds of an inning of hitless relief on June 29, 2006, when he got Mark Teixeira to hit into a double-play grounder. Sanchez threw all of three pitches.
Like Lincecum, Bumgarner hasn't faced Texas.
Even though Sanchez didn't have his best stuff Saturday, Barry Zito isn't expected to be added to the Series roster. The struggling $126 million lefty was left off for the first two rounds.
Center fielder Andres Torres is improving after injuring his left hip and groin area on a ninth-inning single in Game 6 against the Phillies.
"He is doing much better," Bochy said. "He should be good to go."
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