The Angels are counting on Tim Lincecum to bolster their injury-riddled pitching staff. Lincecum showed signs Thursday night that he might be capable of doing just that despite a disastrous first inning in his season debut with the Angels’ Salt Lake affiliate in the Pacific Coast League.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner loaded the bases and balked in a run before retiring a batter. The Tacoma Rainiers produced two runs on two hits in the first inning, and a leadoff walk in the second led to a third run for the Rainiers, the triple-A farm club of the Seattle Mariners.