SF ace and reigning Cy Young winner, scatters seven hits to earn third career complete game

SAN FRANCISCO ? Tim Lincecum pitched a seven-hitter for his third career complete game and first this season, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Friday night to win the first meeting of the Bay Bridge Series.

Lincecum (6-1), the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner who also drove in his third run of the year, struck out eight and walked one to win his sixth straight decision dating to his only loss of 2009 on April 12 at San Diego. It was the Giants? seventh shutout of 2009 and Lincecum?s second career complete-game shutout. He also did it last Sept. 13 in a 7-0 victory at San Diego.

San Francisco won its third straight against the A?s and ended a seven-game home losing streak to Oakland with its first victory in the series at their waterfront ballpark since June 24, 2006. The A?s swept a three-game series in San Francisco last year.

Lincecum singled in the first career run allowed by Oakland rookie Vin Mazzaro (2-1) and won this impressive pitcher?s duel.

The hard-throwing right-hander struck out Matt Holliday to finish the eighth, then fanned former Giant Rajai Davis to end the Giants? seventh shutout of 2009 in a speedy 2 hours, 2 minutes ? and on an efficient 110 pitches. Oakland was blanked for the fifth time this season.

Mazzaro didn?t allow a hit until Pablo Sandoval?s leadoff bunt single in the fifth and pitched 17 2-3 scoreless innings to start his career. After Mazzaro received a mound visit from pitching coach Curt Young, Lincecum stepped in with the bases loaded and punched a single to shallow left-center.

The right-hander retired the first eight batters he faced Friday before Randy Winn reached on third baseman Jack Hannahan?s error in the fourth. Hannahan scooped up Winn?s grounder, but first baseman Jason Giambi couldn?t field the low throw. That snapped a 72-game errorless streak by Hannahan dating to Aug. 10, 2008, the longest in Oakland history by a third baseman.

Mazzaro, one of four rookies in Oakland?s inexperienced rotation, allowed six hits in six innings, struck out four and walked one. None of Oakland?s starters had a major league at-bat entering interleague play.

Giambi went 0-for-4 for Oakland, seeing his batting average drop to .212 ? his lowest at this stage of the season since he was hitting .182 in only four games played as a rookie in 1995.