San Francisco Giants: Bochy Will Not Skip Tim Lincecum's Next Start

Just minutes after the San Francisco Giants were blown out by the MLB's first-half surprise team the Pittsburgh Pirates, 13-2, Giants manager Bruce Bochy made it clear there would be no changes to the team's regularly scheduled starting rotation.


Tim Lincecum, who gave up seven hits and six earned runs in just 3.1 innings pitched on Sunday, has had back-to-back rough starts to go with an already tumultuous first half of the season.  The expected result from it was that the team would initiate changes for Lincecum in the second half of the season.

Bochy quickly ixnayed any thought of that occurring.

“No,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “No chance. We’ll throw him back out there.”

So Lincecum will appear in his next start for the Giants in the second half of the season.

“He has to regroup and we need him,” Bochy said. “He’ll be determined to turn this around.”

The presumed hope for Bochy and the Giants here is that Lincecum can get a few days off for the All-Star break, gather himself and figure out what is wrong in time to help the Giants make a playoff run.

Other options for the Giants in the second half of the season include giving current reliever Brad Penny a few starts, or lowering Lincecum in the starting rotation from the No. 1 spot he currently has.

The trick there is avoiding Lincecum and Barry Zito pitching in back-to-back days.