Misch bids to fill Lowry's starting spot

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ironically, on a day that the Giants gave up 10 runs, the news about their pitching staff was mostly good.

Pat Misch, who is one of the candidates the Giants are looking at to replace Noah Lowry, pitched a strong 3« innings, facing the minimum through the first three.

Two pitchers who aren't going to make the team -- Keiichi Yabu and Victor Santos -- were torched in the middle innings of Sunday's 10-2 Cactus League loss to the Rockies.

After they left, the pitching was mostly good again. Closer Brian Wilson, who is having a very good spring, pitched a scoreless inning. Erick Threets, who has a shot to make the opening-day bullpen, struck out the side. The only major leaguer who wasn't effective was Steve Kline, who gave up two runs, one earned, in one inning.

All this came just a day after Jonathan Sanchez, the leading candidate to inherit Lowry's spot, pitched three innings without allowing an earned run against the White Sox.

What's more, Lowry checked back into camp two days after undergoing surgery on his forearm, and the team announced that he is expected to be able to throw again early next week. He could be pitching off a mound a week after that.

The Giants' initial prediction that Lowry could be back in the rotation by late April seems reasonable.

In the meantime, Misch and Sanchez have given manager Bruce Bochy reason to be optimistic.

"It's very encouraging," Bochy said. "On every staff you need depth. When someone goes down, it's nice to have some choices."

Misch, 25, has pitched in 19 big-league games. He was making his first start of the spring on Sunday, and he acquitted himself well.

Although he was facing a Rockies lineup that was without all of their best hitters, Misch gave up only a walk in the first three innings. In the fourth, he issued a one-out walk, then gave up his first hit, then he was pulled.

"He pitched great," Bochy said. "He kept the ball down, used all his pitches. He had good stuff today."

LINCECUM OK

Another positive in the pitching department: Tim Lincecum said he feels fine, and is scheduled to rejoin the rotation on Wednesday. Lincecum, who was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday, instead threw in the bullpen and came through the workout without a problem.

Lincecum said he first felt the groin tighten up while he was warming up in the bullpen before his start last Tuesday. He still made it through that outing, but it didn't improve, so the Giants decided to skip his turn.

Lincecum said he threw all his pitches at game-speed during Saturday's bullpen session, so he is still on track to be ready when the season begins.

BRIEFLY

Randy Winn, who bruised his shin on a foul ball on Friday, returned to the lineup. He batted three times and played six innings in right field.

Yabu made an unusual putout at home. With Yorvit Torrealba at third, Yabu threw a pitch off the backstop. It bounced all the way back to the plate, where Yabu gloved it in time to tag Torrealba trying to score.

The Giants are 3-9-1, the worst record in the Cactus League. They are also hitting .254, the worst of any team that trains in Arizona. Bochy said he's not concerned about the average, but he would like to see improvement in situational hitting.

Infielder Emmanuel Burriss has spent the whole spring with his name misspelled on his jersey. It is missing the last "s." Clubhouse manager Mike Murphy said he ordered a new jersey, but it hasn't arrived.

"It's OK," Burriss said. "They'll get it right next year."

Contact Staff Writer Jeff Fletcher at 521-5489 or jeff.fletcher@pressdemocrat.com