Lincecum Tosses Second No-Hitter Against San Diego in Less Than a Year

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter Wednesday at AT&T Park against the San Diego Padres, the second time he has done so against the Padres in less than a year.

Lincecum threw his first no-hitter against the Padres July 14 last year in San Diego.

Lincecum (6-5) missed a perfect game only by walking Padres third baseman Chase Headley in the second inning.

Compared with last year's outing, Lincecum needed only 113 pitches to complete his gem, 35 fewer than last year's 148-pitch game. He threw six strikeouts against the one walk.

Lincecum shined as a batter as well. He had two hits and a walk, and scored two of the team's four runs.

It was the 16th no-hitter in Giants franchise history. The only other pitcher to throw two no-hitters was Christy Mathewson, in 1901 and 1905, when the team was based in New York. Half of the no-hitters (eight) have now been hurled in the San Francisco era.

From AP:

No-Hitters in San Francisco Era
June 25, 2014, Tim Lincecum vs. San Diego, 4-0
July 13, 2013, Tim Lincecum at San Diego, 9-0
June 13, 2012, Matt Cain vs. Houston, 10-0 (perfect game)
July 10, 2009, Jonathan Sanchez vs. San Diego, 8-0
Sept. 29, 1976, John Montefusco at Atlanta, 9-0
Aug. 24, 1975 (2nd game), Ed Halicki vs. New York Mets, 6-0
Sept. 17, 1968, Gaylord Perry vs. St. Louis, 1-0
June 15, 1963, Juan Marichal vs. Houston, 1-0

No-Hitters in New York Era
May 8, 1929, Carl Hubbell vs. Pittsburgh, 11-0
May 7, 1922, Jesse Barnes vs. Philadelphia, 6-0
April 15, 1915, Richard Marquard vs. Brooklyn, 2-0
Sept. 6, 1912, Jeff Tesreau at Philadelphia, 3-0
July 4, 1908, Hooks Wiltse vs. Philadelphia, 1-0, 10 innings
June 13, 1905, Christy Mathewson at Chicago Cubs, 1-0
July 15, 1901, Christy Mathewson at St. Louis, 5-0
July 31, 1891, Amos Rusie vs. Brooklyn, 6-0

Lincecum, who turned 30 earlier this month, is a two-time Cy Young Award winner (2008-2009); appeared in four All-Star Games (2008-2011); pitched on two World Series champion teams (2010 and 2012); and led the National League in strikeouts three times from 2008 through 2010.

He has struggled in recent seasons, however, and has generally been inconsistent on the mound — with the notable exceptions of last July's no-hitter against the Padres and Wednesday's gem.