Bay Bridge Series: Tim Lincecum Avoids Major Injury; Oakland Athletics Beat San Francisco Giants Again

The San Francisco Giants may have dodged a bullet Friday night even as starterTim Lincecumcouldn’t.

Lincecum was hit on the left leg by a comebacker off the bat ofDaric Bartonon the final play of the fourth inning, but was diagnosed with just a contusion as the Giants lost to the Oakland Athletics 4-1 in the second game of the Bay Bridge Series at AT&T Park.

The GiantsannouncedLincecum had a left knee contusion and that X-rays were negative.

"“Not too worried,” Lincecum told MLB.com. “I knew it hit me in a relatively good spot. It didn’t hit me in the front of the kneecap.”"

The A’s, meanwhile, silenced the Giants’ bats for the second straight night, withJesse Chavez(5-1) carrying a no-hitter into the sixth until it was broken up whenAngel Pagandoubled with one out in the sixth.

Chavez was pulled at that point, having worked 5.1 innings and issuing one walk with five strikeouts in a thrifty 66-pitch effort. He threw 47 of those pitches for strikes.

Lincecum, meanwhile, allowed a run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. The only run he gave up wasJohn Jaso’s second homer of the spring in the third inning.

Oakland (15-13) piled on three runs in the sixth.Dan Runzlergot the first two outs before running into trouble, walking Jaso and allowing a double toNick Puntobefore walking Barton to load the bases.

Sam Fuldturned on a fastball, yanking it to right field for a triple that cleared the bases.

The Giants (17-12) got their first run of the series off A’s closerJim Johnsonin the ninth.Pablo Sandovalreached on a one-out single and was wiped out on a force play.Juan Pereztook second on defensive indifference and then scored whenJoaquin Ariaslined a soft single to center.

Fernando Abadfinished the sixth for Oakland, striking out one of the two batters he faced.Sean Doolittleallowed a hit in the seventh andLuke Gregersonworked a perfect eighth. Johnson gave up three hits and struck out one in the ninth.

Yusmiero Petit walked one and struck out one in his lone inning of work. Runzler was charged with three runs on two hits and two walks.Jean Machiallowed a hit in 1.1 innings,Santiago Casillawas touched for two hits in a scoreless inning,Javier Lopezretired the only batter he faced in the ninth andSergio Romostruck out one of the two batters he faced.

Josh Reddickand Jaso had two hits each as Oakland collected eight on the night, with one of Reddick’s safeties a double off Machi.

The Giants mustered just five hits and have only nine in the first two games of the series.

The series is scheduled to shift to O.co Coliseum Saturday afternoon, but the Giants already made a change to their pitching plans, sending scheduled starterRyan Vogelsongback to Arizona because of the threat of rain in the East Bay on Saturday.Edwin Escobaris now scheduled to start the 1:05 p.m. game againstDan Strailyfor the A’s.

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