Giants-Phillies Preview

5/4/2008 1:16 AM

By DAN PIERINGER
STATS Writer

Two of the brightest young starters in the NL square off as Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies close a three-game series against Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.

Hamels (3-3, 2.70 ERA) has had a major impact on the Phillies (17-14), leading the club with 27 wins since his major-league debut on May 12, 2006. So far this season, the 24-year-old left-hander ranks among league leaders in ERA and strikeouts (36).

Lincecum (4-1, 1.73), though, is ahead of Hamels in both categories, ranking third in ERA and tied for fourth with 40 strikeouts.

The 23-year-old right-hander has helped the Giants (14-17) overcome the majors' lowest-scoring offense to hold their own in the NL West.

Lincecum hopes to bounce back from his first loss of the year. He was reached for season highs of three runs and eight hits in seven innings of a 3-2 loss to Colorado on Tuesday.

Hamels, meanwhile, held San Diego to two runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 7-4 victory that same day. He has made it through at least seven innings in each of his six outings.

"I joke around about not getting through the eighth," said Hamels, who hasn't pitched eight full innings since his first start April 2. "It's something I have to work toward. It's hard enough to get to the eighth and harder to finish it."

Hamels has won both of his previous starts against the Giants, holding them to five total earned runs in 16 innings in those games. He pitched one of his two career complete games against them on June 2 of last season.

Lincecum, meanwhile, has allowed 11 earned runs in 11 innings against the Phillies spanning two starts. He didn't factor in the decision of either game, but the Giants lost both.

San Francisco may have momentum on its side after winning Saturday's game between 3-2 on a 10th-inning RBI single from Bengie Molina. Brian Wilson pitched a scoreless bottom half of the inning for his league-leading 10th save, one day after blowing his second opportunity of the year.

"I was thinking about the situation since last night," said Wilson, in his first year as a full-time closer. "I wanted it bad. I didn't want to have to wait until (Sunday) or Tuesday. I kind of wanted a doubleheader last night."

Wilson threw all fastballs in his loss on Friday night, but started Philadelphia slugger Pat Burrell off with a slider on Saturday.

"That was big. We wanted to be a situation where we can get him right back out there," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Phillies managed only three hits in the defeat, just their fourth in 13 games.

"We just didn't hit," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Two of Philadelphia's hits Saturday belonged to second baseman Chase Utley, who hit his major league-leading 13th home run and raised his batting average to .369 - third-best in the majors.

The two-time All-Star has homered in three of his last four games against the Giants, and is 8-for-14 with five runs scored in that stretch. He's 2-for-5 with one homer lifetime against Lincecum.