Tim Lincecum Shines as Angels Top the A’s

Tim Lincecum, A.K.A. “The Freak”, gave the Los Angeles Angels a shot in the arm Saturday afternoon,  made his long awaited debut for the Angels in Oakland. Lincecum looked a little rusty at times, but overall pitched very well.  His final line was 6 IP 4 H 1 ER 2 BB 2 K’s.

What could we expect more from the “Freak”? 

As Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tim Lincecum walked off the mound in Oakland today, he received a standing ovation from the Oakland, Angels, and even San Francisco fans. Tim showed why he is a winner as he went six full innings allowing only one run on 98 pitches. Lincecum is expected to make his next start Thursday against yet again the A’s.

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Lincecum started the game pretty smooth only allowing two hits through two innings until the 3rd inning where he was roughed up a little bit. As he lost some command of his pitches, Lincecum quickly found himself in a bases loaded jam in the 3rd inning with two outs. However, Tim being Tim, he showed his steadiness and experience as he was able to limit the damage to a one earned run inning.

After that rough 3rd inning, Lincecum bounced back rather quickly and would not allow another run for the rest of the game as he went on to earn his first W as an Angel.

Even though his stuff is not as great as it used to be, his 88-90 mph fast ball is all that he needs.He relies more on his off-speed pitches such as his change-up and being down in the zone to help get batters out.

What does this mean for the Halos?

What Tim Lincecum brings to this ball club is his energy and winning experience. Having been a 3-time World Series Winner, Lincecum can offer the Angels what it takes to win. When a team, such as the Angels, is struggling like it is, a proven winner is what the team can look to for inspiration when they are in a tough spot. Timmy may be that spark and that source of energy that could help propel the Angel’s back into a wild card race that they were looking for.

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Lincecum is also a temporary band-aid that the Angels needed badly. Since Richards, Heaney, Skaggs, and Wilson are all on the DL with injuries, Lincecum is exactly what the doctor ordered. That starting pitcher lineup for the Angels doesn’t look nearly as bad now with a started like Lincecum commanding the mound.

Next: Jefry Marte hitting his way into the line-up

Let’s not overdo though Angel’s fans. Timmy is still coming off hip surgery and he is on the plus side of 30. The question still remains…Can he be a consistent, reliable option that this ball club needs desperately? Only time will tell us. But for now, we can be happy about his performance as he looks to get into a better groove as the season progresses.