Giants' ace, closer named All-Stars
Lincecum, Wilson earn first trips to Midsummer Classic
By Chris Haft / MLB.com


SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson, who rank among baseball's top starter-closer combinations, will again compose a formidable tandem at this year's All-Star Game.

It just so happens that Wilson has saved seven victories for Lincecum this season. Now, both hard-throwing right-handers have been selected by their peers for the National League All-Star contingent that will oppose its American League counterparts on July 15 at Yankee Stadium.

The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 5 p.m. PT. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of the XM All-Star Futures Game.

Lincecum, 24, has quickly become one of the Major Leagues' most dynamic pitchers since ascending to San Francisco last May. At 10-1, he leads the National League with a .909 winning percentage. His 122 strikeouts also pace the NL. Lincecum's 2.49 ERA ranks second in the league to that of Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez, a fellow All-Star.

Lincecum, who has won his last six decisions, dazzles fans and bamboozles opposing hitters with his catapulting delivery and his array of pitches. He effectively offsets a fastball that regularly travels at 97-98 mph with a curveball, slider and changeup.

Having appeared on the cover of the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated, Lincecum has been mentioned as the NL's potential starter for the Midsummer Classic. His next scheduled start is Wednesday at New York, which would give him sufficient rest. But he could be eclipsed by any of the other starters chosen as All-Stars, including Volquez, Milwaukee's Ben Sheets or Arizona's Brandon Webb, a former Cy Young Award winner.

"I don't even know what determines that. I haven't even thought about it," Lincecum said recently.

Wilson, 26, leads the NL with 24 saves. He has remained remarkably consistent, blowing only two save opportunities and converting his last 15 in a row. He also has displayed a closer's penchant for strikeouts, amassing 33 in his last 25 2/3 innings.

Wilson, whose fastball velocity matches Lincecum's, is among a handful of Giants relievers who have totaled 20 saves by the All-Star break. Though Wilson's mostly used for one inning at a time, he demonstrated his range by pitching 1 1/3 innings to save the Giants' 5-2 victory Saturday night over Los Angeles.

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.