SAN FRANCISCO — Walking the concourse, a man clothed in a Giants jacket and team jersey interrupted a bite of his garlic chicken sandwich for an important announcement.
“CYYYY! Youuungg!” he hollered at San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum on the mound below.
Not so fast. Not so much.
With a chance to persuade voters, Lincecum stormed off the mound Tuesday night as if he were heading up court steps to pay a parking ticket. In a display of offense seen too infrequently this season, the Rockies bludgeoned Lincecum in a 9-4 victory that came with a parting gift.
In possibly killing Lincecum’s Cy Young Award bid — Arizona’s Brandon Webb is now the slight favorite — Ubaldo Jimenez kept alive his hopes for a winning record. He improved to 12-12 with one assignment remaining in Sunday’s season finale, punching the clock for six sleeves-rolled-up innings.
Lincecum is no longer a pitcher, he’s an event. Part Juan Marichal, part Mark Fidrych, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-hander, who was mistaken for a clubhouse kid this season in Washington, represents the Giants’ future. The billing would only gain credibility with the National League’s top pitching trophy on his mantel.
His candidacy was much stronger before the Rockies’ smear campaign. Lincecum lasted just 4 1/3 innings, tagged for six runs on 102 pitches. Lincecum didn’t appear himself from the first pitch, struggling to find his arm slot and unable to command his filthy curveball.
Seth Smith, getting another start in center field as the Rockies weigh their options against keeping Willy Taveras next season, blasted a solo home run in the third inning. Ian Stewart’s RBI double shoved Lincecum to the dugout.
Lincecum retreated quickly to the clubhouse, then returned minutes later, sitting beside manager Bruce Bochy. Lincecum looked like he had been told he was going to boarding school in Hungary. The loss was ugly, leaving Lincecum to rely on the Rockies to pound Webb in Phoenix this weekend.
Lincecum leads the league in strikeouts — his 252 broke Jason Schmidt’s season franchise record. Lincecum fell to second in ERA, his 2.66 inflated after the game when a Rich Aurilia error on a Troy Tulowitzki groundball was changed to a two-run hit.
But Lincecum no longer leads Webb. Even though the bullpen has blown five leads for Lincecum, compared with only one for Webb, the lack of victories will be hard to overcome. Webb has 22, five more than the little Giant.
Jimenez labored like Lincecum, requiring 45 pitches to navigate the first two innings. He settled down, finishing with four strikeouts. His muscle — see 97 mph fastball — makes scouts drool, as good a reason as any why the Rockies believe they will rebound next season.
“With the way the year started, I wasn’t very good,” said Jimenez, who was 1-7 at one point in June. “I never would have thought I had a chance at 12 wins. It would be great to be able to finish with a winning record.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
