Thu Jul 3 11:32:11 2008

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Giants turn to Lincecum in hopes of gaining split with Cubs

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(Sports Network) - Young right-hander Tim Lincecum tries to stretch his unbeaten streak to 12 games this evening, when the San Francisco Giants wrap up a four-game set with the Chicago Cubs at AT&T Park.

Lincecum had one of his best outings of the season Saturday in Oakland, as he held the Athletics to just five hits over seven scoreless innings to improve to 9-1 on the year and lower his earned run average to 2.38.

The 24-year-old hurler, who has not lost since April 29, also struck out 11 and leads the National League in that category with 114. He has also surrendered one run or less in four of his last six starts.

Lincecum is 0-1 in two career starts against the Cubs, pitching to a 2.51 ERA in those outings.

Chicago will counter with a young hurler of its own in 22-year-old righty Sean Gallagher, who is 3-3 with a 4.36 ERA. Gallagher received a no-decision on Saturday against the White Sox, when he allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings of his team's 6-5 loss.

Gallagher has never faced the Giants.

In the third game of this set on Wednesday, Mike Fontenot's solo home run in the top of the eighth inning broke a tie game and proved to be the game-winner in Chicago's 6-5 victory.

Jim Edmonds went 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and a two-run homer, while Geovany Soto knocked in a pair of runs in a 2-for-4 effort at the plate for the Cubs, who won for just the second time in seven games.

Chicago starter Ryan Dempster did not factor in the decision and is still winless in eight road starts this season. The right-hander fanned seven and allowed just two runs on five hits in his six-inning start.

Carlos Marmol (2-3) took the win despite giving up a game-tying three-run homer to San Francisco's Ray Durham in the seventh.

The Giants' Kevin Correia also took a no-decision after yielding four runs on seven hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings of work. Tyler Walker (3-4) surrendered Fontenot's home run and was credited with the loss.

Durham went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while John Bowker accounted for the other two San Francisco runs with a two-run homer in the club's second loss in three games.

The Cubs won five of seven matchups with the Giants a year ago.