Milwaukee Brewers (54-43) At San Francisco Giants (40-57), 4:05 P.m.
(Sports Network) - Phenom Tim Lincecum returns from a bout with the flu, as he tries to help the San Francisco Giants avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park. Milwaukee swept the Giants at Miller Park earlier in the season, but has lost five of its last seven in San Francisco. In fact the Brewers have not completed a Bay Area sweep since turning the trick from June 21 -23, 1999. Lincecum, meanwhile, got sick while in New York for Tuesday's All-Star Game and had to be hospitalized, causing him to miss the Midsummer Classic. The right-hander, though, has been one of the most electric pitchers in the league this season, going 11-2 with a 2.57 earned run average, while leading the majors with 135 strikeouts. The 24-year-old hurler won his final start before the break last Sunday in Chicago, as he held the Cubs to a run and six hits in eight innings. He also fanned nine batters and walked one. Lincecum has faced the Brewers three times in his young career and is 1-1 against them with a 4.50 ERA. Milwaukee will counter with an impressive young hurler of its own in 24-year- old lefty Manny Parra, who is 8-2 with a 3.78 ERA. Parra has won his last seven decisions and has not lost since falling to Houston back on May 3. Parra earned his first major league win back on April 5 against the Giants, holding them to two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 frames. Milwaukee made it two straight over the Giants on Saturday, as Prince Fielder put the Brewers ahead with a solo home run in the seventh and added an insurance RBI single in the ninth in an 8-5 win. Rickie Weeks knocked in two runs while Corey Hart doubled twice with two runs scored for Milwaukee, which has won three straight. Ryan Braun added three hits and scored a run. Carlos Villanueva (4-5) picked up the win with 1 1/3 perfect frames. Jose Castillo, Omar Vizquel and Eugenio Velez had two hits and an RBI each for San Francisco, which has now lost eight of its last nine overall. Osiris Matos (0-2) served up Fielder's blast and was charged with the loss.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.







