(Sports Network) - Tim Lincecum tries to bounce back from one of the worst outings of his career this evening when the San Francisco Giants continue their four-game series with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Lincecum lasted just three innings in a loss to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, surrendering four runs, five hits and three walks to fall to 8-3 on the year, while raising his earned run average to 3.13.
"I had last game where I was up to like, 94 [miles per hour], maybe even hit 95, and then today, where my fastball got as low as 87," Lincecum said after the rough outing. "So those kinds of things kind of fluster me. But I say I always go back to the chalkboard in between starts and try to figure it out." . Lincecum lost the last time he faced the Rockies and is just 5-4 lifetime against them with a 3.62 ERA in 12 starts. However, he has fanned 84 Colorado batters in 74 2/3 innings.
The Giants could use a big start from their ace tonight if they want to put the brakes on their season-high six-game slide. San Francisco's road troubles continued in the opener of their 11-game road trip on Thursday, as Aaron Cook earned his first win in six starts and Carlos Gonzalez helped back the effort with a two-run homer, helping the Rockies to a 7-3 win.
San Francisco has now dropped 13 of 19 away from AT&T Park.
Cook (3-5) pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts against one walk. Dexter Fowler picked up three hits and scored two runs while Miguel Olivo and Clint Barmes each had two hits and an RBI for the Rockies, who have won three of four.
Madison Bumgarner (0-2), making his second start of the year, was reached for nine hits and four runs in seven innings in the loss.
Aaron Rowand had a two-run single and rookie Buster Posey connected on his second home run, scored twice and finished 2-for-4 for the Giants, who haven't lost seven in a row since an eight-game skid on June 13-22, 2007.
"We've got to break this streak we're in and it's going to take waking these bats up and getting a good pitching effort," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "I thought they (the team) were more relaxed today and had better at-bats."
Tonight, Colorado goes with righty Jhoulys Chacin, who is 4-7 with a 3.51 ERA. Chacin lost for the fifth time in his last six starts on Sunday in Anaheim, as the Angels mustered five runs (two earned) and five hits in six innings.
Chacin beat the Giants with seven scoreless innings back on May 2 in his only other start against them.
Colorado has won four of the seven matchups with the Giants this season, but has dropped eight of the last 13 overall meetings.