Giants 1, Diamondbacks 0
PHOENIX -- It was not a no-hitter, but it was special just the same. San Francisco Giants starter Tim Lincecum got a start on almost three years' worth of payback with six shutout innings in a 1-0 victory at Arizona on Friday night.
"Personally, it's really big for me just because I have had some struggles against them," Lincecum said. "They mange either to get a big run off me or a big inning that kind of puts us in a hole. To be able to hold them where I did today was great, and I got all the help I needed from the team."
Lincecum (8-13) gave up six hits, walked two and struck out two to reverse a recent trend. He had lost his last six decisions against the D-backs and had given up 30 earned runs in his last 38 1-3 innings against them. He had not beaten Arizona since Sept. 29, 2010.
"I just relied on my fastball a little bit more today than I have in the past," Lincecum said.
San Francisco scored the only run seven pitches into the game when Angel Pagan lined a double to right field on an 0-2 pitch from Randall Delgado (4-5) and moved around on a sacrifice bunt and Brandon Belt's sacrifice fly. Belt has four home runs and 11 RBIs in 12 games against Arizona this season.
Pagan was activated from the disabled list before the game after missing 69 games following surgery on his left hamstring.
"I've been waiting for this moment for so long. i'm so happy to be back with the guys and help them any way we can," said Pagan, a key cog in the Giants' 2012 World Series run.
"I was hoping we could get some run support for Timmy, but that's how baseball is. Sometimes one run will do it. Last year, we saw that a lot of times."
Pagan scored on Belt's fly to medium-deep center field, just beating center fielder A.J. Pollock's throw. Pollock has eight assists, fourth among National League center fielders.
"I was going for it, Pagan said. "I was going to challenge him. I know my speed is there. He has to be really accurate with the throw. I gave myself an opportunity to make something happen."
Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval preserved the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth when he made a diving stop of Pollock's sharp two-out grounder down the line with the bases loaded and threw Pollock out at first.
Miguel Montero singled with one out in the ninth off Sergio Romo, who retired the final two batters for his 33rd save. The Giants (60-74) have won four of their last six.
Delgado gave up one run and three hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out three. He retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.
"It was important to me to pound the zone. And the second thing I am thinking is, go deep in the game. Some things, you can't control. I did what I could. We battled," Delgado said.
Paul Goldschmidt, who entered the game 9-for-17 with five homers off Lincecum, had one of the D-backs' seven hits, a single to center field with one out in the sixth. Martin Prado singled to left and Aaron Hill walked to load the bases, but Lincecum struck out Miguel Montero on a changeup before Sandoval robbed Pollock.
"We really only had one chance," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "We didn't have good at-bats when we needed to have good at-bats."
NOTES: RHP Yusmeiro Petit will start the final game of the Arizona series on Sunday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced. LHP Barry Zito will be pushed back to Monday against San Diego, Bochy said. Petit, who won his first game Tuesday, will be pitching on regular rest. Zito will pitch on six days' rest. ... The D-backs traded OF Jason Kubel to Cleveland on Friday for a player to be named or cash consideration. Kubel was designated for assignment on Wednesday after hitting .220 with five home runs and 32 RBIs in 89 games this season. Kubel led the Diamondbacks with 30 homers and 90 RBIs last season, his first in the National League.
