OAKLAND, Calif. — What if the 1989 Giants had Tim Lincecum to run out against Dave Stewart?

“It’d have been really interesting, and I’ll leave it at that,” said Carney Lansford, the Giants’ hitting coach and ’89 A’s third baseman. “I wouldn’t bet against either one of them.”
For the tail end of this decade, at least, the smart money’s on Lincecum. He tossed his second seven-hit complete game against the Athletics this year and the Giants won, 4-1, to claim their first Bay Bridge season series since 2001.
Lincecum hardly broke a sweat in the first four innings but made his best pitches in traffic, inducing double-play grounders to tamp down flames in the fifth and sixth innings.
He got an umpire’s call and also benefited from Andres Torres’ wall-banging catch in left field while pitching out of trouble again in the seventh, then gave an understated fist pump after retiring the final six hitters in order. The pro-Giants segment of the crowd filled Oakland Coliseum with whoops of delight.
“The fans love him, as we all do,” Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said. “The thing you love most about him is how he competes. “. . . It’s hard to be better than what he was last year, but he’s right there.”
Lincecum took satisfaction from completing his effort, something he wasn’t able to do in his previous start against the Los Angeles Angels. Normally low-key, Lincecum seethed last Wednesday after he lost a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning.
“That helped me focus,” said Lincecum, who struck out 12 yet needed just 108 pitches to go the distance. “You know batters are clutching up for certain situations. You have to dial it in with guys on base.”
The Giants scored twice in each of the first two innings against A’s rookie Vin Mazzaro. It was the magic number for Lincecum, who is 27-2 in 46 career starts when the Giants support him with at least four runs.
Lincecum gave up a home run to Jason Giambi in the second inning but retired the next 10 hitters he faced. He didn’t deliver from the stretch until the fifth, after Ryan Sweeney hit a one-out single. The A’s loaded the bases on another single and a walk, but pinch hitter Nomar Garciaparra grounded a first-pitch slider for a double play.
Lincecum faced another jam in the sixth after Adam Kennedy singled and Matt Holliday chopped a double past third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Lincecum walked Giambi and threw a 95 mph fastball that Suzuki grounded for another inning-ending double play.
“He doesn’t rattle,” Giants catcher Bengie Molina said. “All he does is pick up his leg, find his rhythm and make pitches.”
The seventh inning would’ve ended with a third double-play grounder. But with runners at the corners and one out, Renteria dropped the feed from second baseman Matt Downs. Umpire Mike Reilly awarded the Giants the forceout at second base, even though replays appeared to show Renteria never had possession of the ball.
After Lincecum caught that break, Torres caught the rest. He ended the seventh by making his third difficult catch of the night, hitting the wall in the left field corner after securing Kennedy’s foul fly.
Bochy made the right lineup moves, moving Renteria from second to seventh and installing Torres into the No.2 spot.
Torres made an instant contribution on offense, too. He drew a one-out walk in the first inning and scored from first base on Sandoval’s end-of-the-bat double.
The Giants topped the A’s for the fourth time in five games this season.
“I’ll say this: There’s a lot of pride for us in the Bay series,” Bochy said. “For us not having a lot of success, to take it this year is big for our fans and our players.”
If the series had an MVP trophy, there’s little doubt whose locker would house it.
“I’m sure Stew had to appreciate that game Timmy threw,” Bochy said. “He’s done that a few times.”