Lincecum toes the rubber trying to avoid a sweep in San Diego

Lincecum toes the rubber trying to avoid a sweep in San Diego
- Tim Lincecum hopes to get on track this afternoon, as the San Francisco Giants try to avoid a sweep in their three-game set with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Lincecum, who won the NL Cy Young Award after going 18-5 with a major-league- leading 265 strikeouts last season, had control problems in his initial start on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He lasted just three innings and allowed three runs and four hits, while walking three with five strikeouts in his team's 10-6 win.

The 24-year-old fireballer has enjoyed a modicum of success in his young career against the Padres, posting a 3-1 mark to go along with a stingy 0.95 earned run average in eight starts. He was 3-0 against them last season with a 0.62 ERA in six starts.

San Diego will counter with righty Chris Young, who nailed down a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Young gave up two runs and five hits in six innings of the 4-2 win.

Young, though, is just 1-4 lifetime against the Giants with a 4.03 ERA in eight starts.

In the second game of this set on Saturday, Jake Peavy struck out 10 Giants and came within two outs of throwing a complete game, as Heath Bell closed out San Diego's 6-3 victory.

San Diego has rattled off four wins in five games following a defeat on Opening Day. Peavy (1-1) was saddled with that loss, but scattered seven hits and three runs in 8 1/3 innings to pick up the win Saturday.

Henry Blanco went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, while Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run double for the Padres, who also received a solo blast from Chase Headley.

Jonathan Sanchez (0-1) fanned seven but was touched for five runs on four hits and five walks in 4 2/3 frames for the Giants, who dropped the opener of this three-game set, 7-3, on Friday.

Randy Winn finished with three hits and two runs scored, while Fred Lewis went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in defeat.

San Francisco, which hasn't been swept by the Friars since September 14-16, 2007, was 13-5 against the Padres in 2008, including wins in seven of its nine visits to Petco Park.