Pitcher Tim Lincecum returned to his inconsistent ways and the San Francisco Giants' offense couldn't solve the Atlanta Braves in a 7-1 loss Sunday night before a national TV audience.
Lincecum took the loss to fall to 7-14 and lasted just five innings. He allowed three runs on five hits and threw 90 pitches despite the brevity of the outing. Meanwhile, former Oakland Athletics pitcher Tim Hudson kept the Giants' offense in check, surrendering one run on five hits in seven innings to improve to 13-4 on the season.
The Giants (71-57) missed a chance to build on their lead in the NL West after both Los Angeles and Arizona lost earlier in the day.
Buster Posey and Hunter Pence combined for five of the Giants' six hits. San Francisco won the first two games of the series at AT&T Park, but ended up with a home split after losing the final two. Brandon Crawford drove in the run with a sacrifice fly.
The Giants head to Houston, where they will begin a six-game road trip that includes three game against the Chicago Cubs.
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