MLB

• Lincecum, Rowand help Giants down Cardinals

  
  

  St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Tim Lincecum and three San Francisco relievers combined for a seven-hit shutout, and the Giants took the middle installment of a three-game weekend set, 3-0, over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

  Less than 24 hours after St. Louis pounded San Francisco pitching for 11 runs on 13 hits, Lincecum (3-0) struck out five and allowed just six hits over seven innings. Jack Taschner and Tyler Walker combined for a scoreless eighth, while Brian Wilson earned his fifth save in tossing the ninth.

  Aaron Rowand led the Giants offense, going 3-for-4 with a homer and two runs batted in on the day, while Jose Castillo was 2-for-4 with an RBI double as San Francisco snapped a three-game losing streak.

  Joel Pineiro (0-2) was the tough-luck loser, allowing three runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. Skip Schumaker and Adam Kennedy had a pair of hits each to lead a Cardinals offense that mustered seven hits, but left seven on base.

  Brian Bocock led off the top of the third with a single to center, and after Lincecum bunted him over and Fred Lewis grounded out, came home for a 1-0 Giants lead on Castillo's double to left-center.

  Rowand blasted a one-out solo shot in the fourth toward the seats in left- center to give San Francisco a two-run lead. Lincecum negated back-to-back singles by Schumaker and Chris Duncan in the home half by striking out Albert Pujols and Rick Ankiel, then inducing an inning-ending groundout from Kennedy.

  In the sixth, Rowand accounted for another Giants run, singling home Ray Durham, who had roped a two-out double. The three-run cushion proved to be more than enough for Lincecum, who continued to keep the Cardinals' bats silent into the seventh.

  Kennedy single to start the home seventh, and later stole second before Rico Washington worked a one-out walk. But Lincecum got Ryan Ludwick and Cesar Izturis to ground out, ending the inning, and the combination of Taschner, Walker and Wilson followed with two scoreless frames to seal the shutout. Game Notes

  Pujols, who had four RBI in the 11-1 win Friday night, finished 0-for-3 with a strikeout...Brad Thompson tossed 2 2/3 shutout innings in relief of Pineiro...San Francisco left seven runners on base, but turned three double plays...Earlier Saturday, the Cardinals announced left-hander Mark Mulder is scheduled to pitch for Double-A Springfield in a rehab assignment Sunday; right-hander Russ Springer, who is nursing right elbow neuritis, threw to hitters in St. Louis earlier Saturday.

  04/19 16:18:33 ET