Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

Tim Lincecum improved to 13-3 Sunday by holding the Braves to one earned run over 7 2/3 innings. Lincecum fanned 10 while limiting the Braves to three hits. He lowered his ERA to 2.60 and got five of his strikeouts with runners in scoring position. He has a 1.88 ERA on the road, best in the major leagues, and will take on the Padres next. He has already racked up 192 strikeouts in 169.2 innings. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum said Wednesday that he’ll be able to make his next scheduled start. Giants manager Bruce Bochy agreed, saying he was “99 percent” sure Lincecum would start against the Braves on Sunday. Lincecum left Tuesday’s game after getting hit in the leg by a comebacker, but the resulting bone bruise won’t keep him sidelined. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum allowed just two runs in eight innings to lead the Giants past the Braves on Wednesday afternoon. Lincecum allowed just five hits while striking out eight, although he did issue four walks on the afternoon. Still, he picked up his first win since July 13 and lowered his ERA to 2.68 on the season. He’ll pitch in Houston in his next outing. The Braves got their two runs against Lincecum off a pair of RBI groundouts in the fifth and sixth. Lincecum improved to 12-3 this season and is 11-2 in 19 starts following a Giants’ loss. It was only his second in his past six starts. In his three previous outings, the San Francisco ace right-hander had a loss and two no-decisions. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in four of his last five starts. The second-year hurler remains a must-start Fantasy SP, and we expect for years to come as well. He is on track to be a two-start pitcher Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 11-17) with his second start coming against the Braves. Both starts are on the road where Lincecum is 8-1 with a 2.04 ERA.(Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum fanned 11 while limiting the Padres to one run in seven innings on Friday. Lincecum had a lead blown by the bullpen in a second straight start. He’s 0-2 with a 3.60 ERA and a 32/7 K/BB ratio in three starts since the All-Star break. Lincecum has 41 strikeouts in his last 28 innings and has more strikeouts than innings pitched on the season. He might have a few struggles as he approaches his career high in innings, but he should remain a must-start for the rest of the season. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday against the Braves. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum outpitched Brandon Webb on Saturday, but took a no-decision after allowing two runs and striking out 13 in seven innings. Tyler Walker, still apparently viewed by Bruce Bochy as one of the Giants’ best relievers, took over to start the eighth and promptly gave up three runs to blow the lead. The 13 strikeouts were a new career high for Lincecum. His previous high was 12, also against the Diamondbacks, on July 1, 2007. He threw 111 pitches tonight, 76 of them strikes. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum, who missed the All-Star game due to the flu, returned to action by yielding five runs in six-plus innings in a loss to the Brewers on SUnday. Lincecum was doing well with just two runs allowed through six innings, but a single, hit by pitch, and three-run Ryan Braun homer changed all that in the seventh. The loss drops Lincecum to 11-3 and raised his ERA to 2.79. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum is slated to start Sunday for the Giants against Milwaukee as planned, even after the right-hander missed Tuesday’s All-Star game with flulike symptoms and dehydration. Yet Giants manager Bruce Bochy is leaving open the option of pushing Lincecum back if needed — and perhaps backing off his workload some in the second half. The hard-throwing right-hander was hospitalized in New York and missed his first All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. “He’s doing fairly well,” Bochy said during a team workout Thursday. “He’s got a cold. From what I understand he’s doing much better. We had a few guys who got sick there the last road trip. … We’re going to check on (Lincecum). He is somebody we’re going to keep an eye on and monitor him the second half because we know his innings are going to be up there.” The 24-year-old Lincecum, in his second major league season, is 11-2 with a 2.57 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 19 starts and 20 appearances for the Giants this year. Backing off on his innings will help him in the long run, but it won’t do your Fantasy team any good this year. Still, he should remain a must-start in Fantasy. Keep him active for Sunday. (CBS Sports)

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Tim Lincecum “felt much better Wednesday” after being hospitalized and missing the All-Star game with flu-like symptoms. Lincecum was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon, but watched the All-Star game from his hotel room. He remains scheduled to start Sunday against the Brewers. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum was hospitalized Tuesday with flulike symptoms, and it appeared the San Francisco Giants pitcher was likely to miss his first All-Star game. Lincecum was taken from his hotel to a Manhattan hospital after feeling ill early in the day, said Katy Feeney, senior vice president in the commissioner’s office. The right-hander was not at his locker between National League starter Ben Sheets and Edinson Volquez about 2 1/2 hours before the scheduled first pitch. His jersey and a Giants hat hung untouched on a hook on the wall as the NL team headed to the field for batting practice. Giants reliever Brian Wilson said he hadn’t spoken to Lincecum, who missed the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade on Tuesday. “I think it was just one of those things that just hit him this morning,” said Wilson, who was left to ride alone in the back of a pickup truck up Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.

Lincecum was among several pitchers on the NL roster who threw Sunday, giving manager Clint Hurdle a tired group for the Midsummer Classic. Lincecum struck out nine over eight innings to beat fellow All-Star Ryan Dempster and the Cubs. The 24-year-old Lincecum, 11-2 in his second year with the Giants, leads the major leagues with 135 strikeouts. His 2.57 ERA is fourth best among starters, and he’s lost just once in his last 14 starts. This flu bug should be out of the way in time for his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday against Milwaukee, so continue to start him in all Fantasy formats. (CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum held the Cubs to one run over eight innings Sunday and the Giants topped the Cubs 4-2. Lincecum was great once again. He fanned nine and issued just one walk while collecting his first career triple. The performance allows him to take a 2.57 ERA and an 11-2 record into his first All-Star game. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum lost for just the second time all season Tuesday when he allowed four runs and two homers over six innings against the Mets. Mike Pelfrey outpitched All-Star Tim Lincecum to win his fifth straight start, and the surging New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 7-0. Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Carlos Delgado also connected off Lincecum (10-2) to help the Mets win their fourth in a row. Lincecum, selected to his first All-Star team Sunday, allowed a season-high nine hits in six innings. He struck out four, increasing his NL-high total to 126, and walked two. The 24-year-old right-hander was 6-0 in 12 starts since his other loss, 3-2 against Colorado on April 29. He had won two straight starts coming into Tuesday’s outing. Lincecum has allowed four or more runs in three of his last five outings, but it’s nothing for Fantasy owners to fret about. The young fireballer is still an elite Fantasy SP thanks to a killer strikeout pitch. His next scheduled start is for Sunday against the Cubs. Lincecum beat the Cubs in his previous outing, allowing three runs in six innings. (CBS Sports)

3B Chipper Jones has been voted as starter for the National League for next week’s All-Star game. Pitchers Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum, and Brian Wilson were also named to the squad. “A little surprised, yes, because I don’t think I’ve done a super job this year. I’ve done mediocre. But I’ve done a good job saving wins. It was a little surreal, getting a call saying I made the All-Star team,” said Giants closer Brian Wilson, on joining the NL All-Star team. (Rotoworld)

Update (July 11th): Brewers OF Corey Hart was named as the final member of the NL squad for the All-Star game, receiving the most votes in the “Monster All-Star Game Final Vote”. 47 million votes were cast online at MLB.com from Sunday evening to Thursday, and Hart beat out David Wright, Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, and Carlos Lee. Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay was voted in by fans for the AL squad.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy plans to shuffle his rotation to get Tim Lincecum two starts before the All-Star break. Lincecum will pitch against the Mets on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, and then throw against the Cubs on Sunday. Kevin Correia will pitch on Wednesday, and only make one start. With the move, Lincecum has been ruled out of starting next Tuesday’s All-Star game. Lincecum is 10-1 with a 2.49 ERA, despite the fact he pitches for one of the more mediocre teams in baseball. He would have been a good candidate to start in the All-Star game, but his many Fantasy owners won’t be caring about that. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum held the Cubs to three runs over six innings as the Giants went on to an 8-3 victory on Thursday night. Lincecum struck out eight and walked one. He improves to 10-1 on the season and has won his last six decisions. The Giants scored four runs in the second and got a pinch-hit three-run homer from Rich Aurilia in the seventh to break open their lead. (Rotoworld)

In an excellent article on SI.com, Tom Verducci dives deep into the interesting and effective delivery of Tim Lincecum. BP’s Will Carroll says that “This might be the best article I’ve seen on pitching. Ever.”

As if peering around a corner, the Freak tilts his head slightly to the left as he begins his explosive, homemade pitching delivery. What lurks around that corner is either greatness or danger, which makes tiny Tim Lincecum, all 172 pounds of him, the most fascinating pitcher in baseball. Not since Mark (the Bird) Fidrych spoke to baseballs, manicured mounds and baffled hitters more than 30 years ago has a pitcher been this consistent and this captivating from the start of his career. Lincecum does not throw a baseball as much as he launches it, 98-mph rockets somehow expelled, with finely tuned kinetic energy, from a batboy’s body. He scares hitters and scouts alike.

Since his May 2007 call-up Lincecum has been only slightly more challenged by major league hitters. In 40 starts through Sunday, he was 16-6 with a 3.30 ERA and 264 strikeouts in 256 innings. Only one starting pitcher in baseball history, Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets in the mid-’80s, has won 70% of his decisions over his first two seasons while logging more strikeouts than innings.

The normal stride length for a pitcher is 77% to 87% of his height. Lincecum’s stride is 129%, some 7 1/2 feet.