Giants 9, @Padres 0 — In a season headed south for the defending champions, Tim Lincecum blanked the Padres for the first no-hitter in the 10-year history of Petco Park. He fanned 13 (six in a row from the 2nd-4th), walked four (Everth Cabrera and Chase Headley twice each), and threw 148 pitches, 17 in the 9th.

With the drama rising in proportion to Lincecum’s pitch count, Hunter Pence ended the 8th with an excellent catch of a low liner to right, making the outcome seem ordained, if only the Freak’s arm would hold. The pitch count surpassed by 10 his old career high, from a 4-hit shutout in this very park 5 years ago. Since 2006, the only other game with 148+ pitches was Edwin Jackson’s 2010 no-hitter.

Timmy’s last shutout and CG came more than 2 years and 75 starts ago; he’d not gone more than 7 innings since a year ago today. His prior low-hit game was a 2-hitter in 2009, his second Cy Young season. His career ERA against San Diego is 2.21 in 25 starts.

• 13 Ks is tied for 9th-most in a no-hitter in the searchable era. Out of 46 no-hitters since 1992, just three others had 13 or more: Matt Cain fanned 14 in last year’s perfecto, and Randy Johnson (2004) and Eric Milton (1999) had 13 Ks.
• 148 pitches is 2nd-most of the 69 no-hitters for which counts are searchable. Besides Jackson, three others this century have thrown 148 pitches in any game: 150 by Livan Hernandez (2005) and Ron Villone (2000), and 149 by Johnson (2002). The last to do so in a shutout, besides Jackson, were Johnson (19 Ks in ’97) and Roger Clemens (20 Ks in ’96).
• Hunter Pence homered, tripled, and drove in 5. Their #3-6 hitters produced 10 hits (6 for extra bases), all 9 RBI, and 8 runs.
• The Giants also fanned 13 times. It’s the first time any team in Petco Park scored 9 or more in regulation with so many whiffs, and the 3rd time in Giants history anywhere; the others both came in Coors Field.

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@Dodgers 1, Rockies 0 — Zack Greinke allowed 2 hits while nursing a lead through the last 8 innings, to record his first shutout since hurling 3 in his 2009 Cy Young season. He set down the first 13 men, ten on grounders, and opened the 5th with his first strikeout before Todd Helton singled. Greinke would fan another to end that frame, and rolled up 9 Ks among his last 15 outs. A bunt hit in the 6th was then caught stealing. Helton walked to start the 8th, leading to Colorado’s only RISP chances when a pinch-runner stole, but Greinke got the next three with ease.

L.A.’s run came from Skip Schumacher’s leadoff double and two groundouts. Tyler Chatwood went the distance on 4 hits for a tough loss in his first complete game. Greinke’s last CG was in 2010. He finished this one with 14 groundball outs, two pop-outs and one line drive, with a career-best 91 Game Score. He’s won 5 straight starts to reach 8-2 in 14 games, despite missing 5 weeks with a broken collarbone.

• It’s the 23rd 1-0 game this year, on pace for close to last year’s 41, which was down from 56 and 62 the prior two years.
• 14th CG shutout on 2 hits or less this year; there were 21 of those each of the past two years.
• First double-CG on 4 hits or less since 2011-07-10, when Sabathia bested Shields heading into the Break.
• Chatwood is the 3rd this year to lose a 1-0 CG (Josh Beckett had a walk-off loss for L.A. back in April).
• Among active pitchers age 29 or younger, Greinke’s 99 wins trails only King Felix (107).

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Rangers 7, @Tigers 1 — All good things must end, and so did Max Scherzer’s undefeated season, with a loss in his 19th start. It was scoreless to the 4th, Detroit missing two good chances against Derek Holland along the way. Nelson Cruz led off with a double and came around on outs; no tragedy in a 1-run hole, but then Max walked Elvis Andrus, and Mitch Moreland rode the next pitch deep to left. Scherzer yielded 4 in all over 6 innings, ending a streak of 10 quality starts. Holland beat the Tigers for the first time in six tries (counting playoffs); he walked 5, but yielded just 5 singles in 7 innings, got two DPs, and turned aside Victor Martinez to end those two early threats with a total of 5 men on base. Texas cracked it open in the 9th with 3 off the quickly fading Al Alburquerque, who’s bled 9 runs and 3 HRs in his last 4 outings.

• Miguel Cabrera walked, lined out and singled off Holland. He came in 5 for 13 with 3 HRs and a double in that matchup. His bid for 100 RBI by the Break depends on plating 5 on Sunday; he has two such games this year.
• Joakim Soria fanned Cabrera in the 8th, and yielded one single in his 3rd game back after a 22-month absence; he’s retired 9 of 10, with 3 Ks.

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Blue Jays 7, @Orioles 3 — J.P. Arencibia’s 2-run single in the 6th capped a 2-out rally off Jason Hammel and flipped a 1-run deficit, as the Jays overcame the daily Chris Davis HR (#36) behind 5 scoreless innings from their stellar bullpen. Baltimore’s table-setters went 0-10, and the club was hitless in 8 RBI chances (with 3 such Ks by DH/9th hitter Nolan Reimold). Edwin Encarnacion’s 2-run shot in the 1st was his 25th HR, putting him pace to eclipse last year’s 42. Toronto’s first four relievers came through the day with ERAs under 2, three of them with at least 42 IP.

• Eight HRs in 14 games for Davis, but just 2 other hits. His 109th strikeout put him on a 185-K pace. The most strikeouts in a 50-HR season is 182, by Cecil Fielder. The most Ks with 60 HRs was 171, by Sammy Sosa (twice!).
• Adam Jones’s 18th HR put him on pace for 30. Out of eight prior 60-HR seasons, the only two without a 30-HR teammate were by Sosa, in 1999 (26 for Henry Rodriguez) and 2001 (17 for Matt Stairs & Rondell White).
• Jones walked twice, first time since last September, but lefties retired Davis each time.

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@Rays 4, Astros 3 — Roberto Hernandez (I’m finally getting used to it) settled in after a 3-run 1st (HR and 2 doubles) to register his 4th straight quality start. Wil Myers and Luke Scott put Roberto in the winner’s seat — single/HR in the 5th, single/SB/single with 2 outs in the 6th — and the relief brigade put down 9 straight. Tampa’s won 9 of 10, and by evening’s end, could hold the first wild card.

• Carlos Pena led off for Houston, and got on twice. Why not? He’s started there 10 times before in his career, all last season, and despite batting 6 for 35, he scored 7 runs and drove in 7, with 3 HRs and 7 walks. Speed is a nice plus for a leadoff man, but it’s always been overrated in that role. Matt Carpenter doesn’t steal; Cardinal leadoff men have 1 SB in 4 tries, but they’re tops in MLB with 75 runs, thanks mainly to a .375 OBP.

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White Sox 5, @Phillies 4 (day game/11 inn.) — Alexei Ramirez doubled home Alejandro De Aza, who tripled with 2 outs in the 11th, and Chicago hung on thanks to an extra run that followed on a Jimmy Rollins 2-base error. Each side had 13 hits, and they combined for 4-27 with RISP. Ramirez and De Aza combined for 4 extra-base hits, and Adam Dunn reached 5 times.

• Darin Ruf homered, doubled, singled and walked. He’s hit in all 7 games since coming up (9-20, 2 HRs, 3 doubles).
• Speedy Ben Revere hit into a game-ending DP, his 10th — 2 more than all last year.

@Phillies 2, White Sox 1 (nightcap/13 inn.) — Michael Young’s single followed a 1-out sac bunt by reliever Joe Savery and brought Jimmy Rollins racing in from 2nd, sliding under the tag with the winning run to end a long day’s journey for two teams going nowhere. After John Mayberry tied it with a HR in the 7th off starter Hector Santiago (7.1 IP, 3 hits, 9 Ks), Young’s single in 11th was their only other hit before his winner — their only RISP hit and just their 3rd such chance. The Sox went 1-12 with RISP and lost the go-ahead run at home in the 11th to a beautiful throw by Domonic Brown.

• It’s Chicago’s first loss in searchable history allowing 5 hits or fewer in more than 12 innings. Also the first such loss in any interleague game.

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Twins 4, @Yankees 1 — Phil Hughes was masterful through 7 innings — 10 Ks, 3 hits and a walk — but he was still Phil Hughes, so two of those hits left the yard. Then he hung a slider in the 8th for homer #3, walking off in a 4-1 hole. Samuel Deduno tied his career high of 7 innings, working past a few threats after a run in the 1st.

After Austin Romine’s 1-out single in the 3rd, New York got 5 more hits, but no other balls out of the infield. Zoilo Almonte seemed to bungle a 1st-and-3rd double-steal ploy, getting tagged at 2nd to end the 4th before the go-ahead run could touch home. They left 2 on in the 5th when Ichiro struck out, and couldn’t redeem a 1-out double in the 7th. Glen Perkins finished for his 21st save, and first since June 27; his club was 2-13 since then.

• In 54 starts in the new park, Hughes has allowed 65 HRs in 307 innings — twice his rate for road starts those years (28 HRs in 268 IP).
• Deduno is the rare Twin who doesn’t fit the company’s low-walk leanings, averaging 5.1 BB/9 in the minors and 6.0 in 15 starts last year. He’s cut that rate by half this year, but his Ks are also down to a dangerous level.
• The Yanks are 28-22 at home, but have been outscored there, 198-180, and out-homered, 54-46.
• I get the rationale, but the military caps looked awful topping off the Yankee pinstripes.

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Late Friday games

@Diamondbacks 2, Brewers 1 — Patrick Corbin summoned whiffs as needed, totaling 10 Ks in 6.2 innings, but it was a group effort (by both sides) that secured his 11th win. Corbin dug himself an early hole, with two wild pitches letting in his only run, but he fanned Rickie Weeks with a man on 3rd to escape that threat — one of 4 swinging strikeouts that ended frames with a man in scoring position.

Tom Gorzelanny was outstanding in his 3rd start this year, trimming his ERA to 1.88 in 52.2 IP. But he was orphaned for the second time in a week — two 2-1 losses with no earned runs off him. Yuniesky Betancourt’s 2-out error in the 2nd let in the lead run, after Gorzelanny’s pickoff 2-base error had led to the leveler in the 1st. And though Yuniesky tried atoning with a leadoff double in the 7th, reaching third with no outs, he’d die right there: Corbin punched out pinch-hitter Khris Davis (who’s fanned in 9 of 19 trips), and Nori Aoki bunt-popped foul. Will Harris came on to face Carlos Gomez with the bases juiced, and fanned him with a full-count cutter on the corner, earning his first hold. But the biggest bail-out was still to come.

• Arizona’s 20-12 in one-run games, best in NL wins and percentage — not what you’d expect from a team that’s next-to-last in save percentage and league-average in relief run prevention. Credit the offense, which is 2nd in runs scored from the 7th inning onward, comprising 32% of their total runs (league average 28%).
• Corbin has allowed 2 runs or less in 6+ innings in 15 of 19 starts, two more than any other this year, and tied for the most by any D-back at this stage of a season.
• Harris’s solid work in lost causes has bumped him to a bigger role in the shuffling D-back bullpen. He’s stranded bases full in his last two outings, and 16 of 19 inherited runners overall.

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Rockies 3, @Dodgers 0 — Juan Nicasio bested Clayton Kershaw, the majors’ ERA leader, as Colorado squelched L.A.’s hopes of reaching 1st place before the Break. Troy Tulowitzki’s sac fly brought the first of 2 early runs, though he remained hitless in 2 games since coming off the injured list. D.J. LeMahieu led the limited attack with 3 hits, including a 2-out insurance knock in the 5th. Yasiel Puig’s sore hip forced him out of a 2nd straight game.

• L.A. has totaled 9 runs in Kershaw’s 6 losses. Seven of his 8 wins were backed by 4 runs or less (he scattered 4 runs over those 8), and his record’s an outstanding 3-3 in 8 games given 1 or 2 runs. After leading NL pitchers with 6.2 WAR last year, he’s already built up an MLB-best 5.3 WAR this season.
• Carlos Gonzalez whiffed in all 4 trips. He leads the NL in HRs, slugging and OPS, on a pace for career highs in those and more. But he’s also striking out more than ever; his pace of 179 Ks would dwarf his prior high of 135, and his 27% rate is far above his 20% for 2010-12 combined.
• The Rox went 9-16 during Tulo’s latest absence.
• I think it’s wrong to fault Puig’s beer-league jog on a routine groundout. His manager put him in the lineup, aware of his condition and surely with the understanding that he’d not pointlessly exert himself. But it still might fan the flames of Puig Fatigue.

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Red Sox 4, @Athletics 2 — In Friday’s only meeting of division leaders, Brock Holt drove in 2 runs with two outs in the 2nd, his third 2-ribby game in the last four, and his sac in the 8th helped set up Dustin Pedroia’s 2-out tiebreaker off Ryan Cook. John Lackey’s command was a little off, with 4 walks and a plunk in 7 IP (he’s put on less than 2 per game by those routes), but he still continued his career-long mastery of Oakland: In a season’s worth of work, he’s 19-6, 2.90 ERA in 34 starts and 221 IP. He got a huge double play when cornered in the 5th (great snag and feed by Pedey), and rolled up 8 of his last 9 outs on grounders. Jarrod Parker set down 16 straight after Holt’s RBIs, but Boston struck quickly off the bullpen, then closed out their 4th straight win.

• In Cook’s career, RHBs are just 10 for 68 with RISP.
• The last 5 A’s went down on strikes, 3 by Koji Uehara in the 9th. Since stepping into the closer’s shoes on June 26, he’s struck out 16 of 37, with 1 walk and 4 hits making a .135 OBP — but he’s still blown 2 of 9 save chances.
• Uehara’s 0.897 WHIP is the best in MLB history for 200+ innings.

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Giants 10, @Padres 1 — A close game unraveled in three halves, from top of 6th through top of 7th. San Fran scored 3, all with 2 outs. The hosts then filled their sacks with no outs off Chad Gaudin, but Jose Mijares stymied them, and then all hell broke loose with Brad Brach on the hill. The Giants finished with as many RISP hits (8-20) as the Pads had chances (0-8).

• San Diego wound up with their worst home loss since an identical blowout by the Giants last August 17. They won 10 of 12 after that drubbing, and they’d need a stretch like that to salvage a month they’ve started 1-11.
• The hidden-ball trick was the Padres’ highlight, and like everything else of late, they didn’t do it right.
• Gregor Blanco was the first this year to score 4 runs with no more than 1 hit.
• Mijares joined S.F. on waivers last August — there must be a story there, as he’d pitched well for K.C. — and has a 2.50 ERA, 10.2 SO/9 and 3.2 SO/BB with the Giants, stranding 32 of 43 inherited.

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More Box-Score Madness

Just as I suspected: Thursday’s game was Ichiro’s first ever with at least one hit, run, RBI, steal and sacrifice. (It’s the 6th such game this year, with 2 by Elvis Andrus.)

Now that his brother Cory has played in the majors, every time I see “Col. Rasmus” in the box score, I immediately think of General Crowder, one of three men ever to win 25 in a season for the Senators/Twins franchise. Then I think of Admiral Schlei, who played with Snake Deal and with Snake Wiltse‘s more successful kid brother, Hooks. Oh, and Gary Matthews, Derek Jeter, Ralph Houk, and sometimes Carlos Corporan. (But never lefty Specialists.)