Lincecum Dazzles Again

San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval, right, is congratulated by teammate Randy Winn after Sandoval...

San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval, right, is congratulated by teammate Randy Winn after Sandoval hit a two-run home run off Houston Astros' Felipe Paulino during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, July 3, 2009, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(AP)

Ortiz struck out a season-high seven but lost his second straight decision and saw his winless stretch reach six starts.

He was a former fan favorite during six seasons covering two stints with San Francisco, last in 2007. He was the Giants' Game 6 starter in the 2002 World Series when the club collapsed and lost in seven games to the wild-card Angels.

The right-hander was a fourth-round draft pick by the Giants in 1995 and went 69-47 during his time with San Francisco. This marked his eighth appearance against his former team — and he is 0-4.

NOTES: Lincecum went 16 scoreless innings last season. ... He is 2-0 in five career starts vs. Houston and has never allowed a home run to the Astros. ... The Astros are 14-10 in day games. ... Houston is 15-7 against the NL West. ... A home-plate ceremony was held before the game on the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's luckiest man speech, and nine fans from the Bay Area with ALS — the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis that ended Gehrig's career and ultimately his life — gathered on the field to commemorate the anniversary. The Giants also remembered longtime fan Frank Ratto, who died of the disease 2006.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.