For more than half of game, it appeared as though the San Francisco Giants might come up on the losing end of a perfect game by San Diego Padres starter Anthony Bass. In the end, however, Tim Lincecum and the Giants limited the Padres to just three hits en route to a 2-1 victory.
Lincecum once again had some control issues and once again had a problem inning, but luckily this time out the "problem inning" in the top of the third resulted in just one run, as Will Venable drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a Brandon Belt throwing error that might otherwise have been a double play. The Padres scored that run on a Nick Hundley sacrifice fly.
The Giants remained without a baserunner against Bass until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Lincecum managed his first hit of the year; a two-out infield single to break up the perfecto. San Francisco finally got things going in the bottom of the seventh, when Belt redeemed himself (and then some) with a two-out double that plated Melky Cabrera and Nate Schierholtz.
Lincecum and Bass both went eight innings. Lincecum allowed no earned runs on three hits, but is still having issues locating, as he struck out five but walked four. Bass, meanwhile, struck out eight Giants batters and walked none. Santiago Casilla picked up the save. Pablo Sandoval was 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at a robust 20 games.
The Giants will go for the series win in the rubber game on Sunday.
For more on the San Francisco Giants, please check out McCovey Chronicles. For the Padres side of things, head on over to Gaslamp Ball.
