Giants topple Reds, 9-6

Published 11:41 pm Saturday, March 26, 2011

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tim Lincecum is five days away from starting the opener for the San Francisco Giants. Good thing for him the season didn’t start Saturday.

Lincecum gave up six runs on 11 hits in five innings during his final spring training outing, but his teammates roughed up Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman and beat Cincinnati 9-6.

“I just started missing spots and pitches got up, and I wasn’t getting ahead of many batters,” Lincecum said. “My arm feels ready. It would be nice to get to some games that actually matter.”

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The Reds got to Lincecum with three runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth. Home runs by Juan Francisco and Fred Lewis were the big hits.

The hard-throwing Chapman faced five batters and didn’t get any of them out. He allowed four hits and five runs.

Andres Torres had three hits and drove in four runs. The Giants roughed up Chapman and scored six times in the sixth inning.

Right-hander Sam LeClure, headed for the Reds’ rotation because of injuries to Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto that will land them on the disabled list, pitched 3 1-3 innings and allowed a run and four hits with four strikeouts.

“I couldn’t be more happy with the last outing of camp. I’d take that in June,” LeClure said. “No one wishes an injury on this team or any other team. This is the role I fill until they need me to fill another role.”

Giants left-hander Jeremy Affeldt, one of the candidates to open the regular season as the closer if needed, pitched a scoreless inning. He is being considered as a temporary replacement for injured closer Brian Wilson, who is recovering from a strained left oblique.

Wilson played higher-intensity catch for seven minutes Saturday as part of his rehabilitation.

“The progression is going smoothly. Showed up, did my work,” Wilson said. He made a couple of throws in his stretch motion and hopes to play long toss as soon as Sunday.

Wilson has thrown only five innings this spring, having been limited by lower back pain and the oblique. If all goes well with long toss Sunday, manager Bruce Bochy said a bullpen session is next. Bochy also put Wilson’s chances of being ready for opening day at Dodger Stadium on Thursday at 50-50.

““I don’t deal with doubt, so it’s not going to be a surprise if I’m out there on the mound, to me at least,” Wilson said. “And then it wouldn’t be a surprise if I’m not.”

NOTES: Red pitcher Bronson Arroyo has been diagnosed with mononucleosis after more than two weeks of feeling ill, but is expected to make his last spring training start Tuesday and open the season in the rotation. … The Reds reassigned C Devin Mesoraco, OF Dave Sappelt and INF Chris Valaika to minor league camp. … Reds 3B Scott Rolen missed his second straight game with a sore left elbow from being hit with a pitch Thursday. … Giants 2B Freddy Sanchez left the game in the fifth inning after taking a knee to the helmet when trying to break up a double play with a slide into second base. Bochy said Sanchez is fine.