San Francisco Giants: Lincecum's Strong Start Stalled By Bullpen Woes

This year, the San Francisco Giants need every win they can get and with Tim Lincecum on the hill, the game is almost a certain win. 

Lincecum, once again, had another quality start this season against the Houston Astros on May 15, and has shown his dominance on the mound.  He left the game with a score of 7-3 after six strong innings of work, giving up three runs and striking out ten batters he faced. 

Too bad his bullpen couldn't help him.

In the eighth inning, the often-reliable Tyler Walker blew the four-run lead by giving up a mammoth home run to Astros' Carlos Lee and later a three-run pinch-hit home run to Darin Erstad, which tied up the game. 

The Giants were scoreless in the bottom of the eighth.  In the top of the ninth, Vinnie Chulk's first pitch to Lance Berkman was crushed into the cove.  In the bottom of the last inning, Jose Valverde shut the Giants down in order to finish out the ballgame.

The Giants fall to 17-25 and remain in third in the NL West, while the Astros, 24-18, are 1.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.