Lincecum looks to up scoreless streak in Denver

May 15, 2011GIANTS (22-17) atROCKIES (20-18)
Coverage starts at 5 pm on CSN Bay Area
(AP) -- Tim Lincecum has looked dominant against Colorado of late. After rain postponed his originally scheduled start in the San Francisco Giants' last game, the Rockies are forced to deal with the two-time Cy Young Award winner once again.Riding a 17-inning scoreless streak overall, Lincecum tries for a third consecutive winning start against the Rockies at Coors Field in the opener of a two-game set Monday night.Lincecum (3-3, 2.11 ERA) has no problem taking the mound with an extra days' rest after Sunday's game at Wrigley Field was postponed."It doesn't really bother me," Lincecum said. "What's wrong with an extra day?"Likely nothing for the Giants ace, but possibly something for the struggling Rockies (20-18), who are 9-16 since winning 11 of their first 13."You can't think about who's pitching, you can't think if he's good or bad. Just play the game," Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said.The Rockies will do their best to do that versus Lincecum, who has allowed three runs, 10 hits and struck out 28 in 23 2-3 innings to win his last three starts against them. He's yielded two runs, five hits and fanned 19 in the last two at Coors. Lincecum took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before he allowed a run and struck out 10 in an 8-1 win at Colorado on April 18."He's special," said Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, 6 for 35 with eight strikeouts versus the San Francisco ace.The right-hander has a chance to extend an overall scoreless streak that dates to April 29 at Washington. He allowed four hits and struck out nine in eight innings but did not factor in the decision of a 1-0 win over Arizona on Tuesday.San Francisco (22-17) hopes Lincecum is again on his game as it tries to improve to 6-1 against the Rockies in 2011. The Giants swept a three-game home set with the Rockies from May 6-8, then swept Arizona to surpass Colorado atop the NL West.The Giants have won nine of 11 overall against the Rockies, and six of 10 at Coors, including two of three this season."If you are going to end up where we want to end up by season's end, and that's to win the division championship, you're going to have to take on all comers whenever they show up," said Colorado manager Jim Tracy, whose team is 6-10 in the division and 1 12 games behind the Giants.Gonzalez is expected to play after he was hit in the foot by a pitch in the eighth inning of Sunday's 8-2 loss to San Diego. After batting an NL-leading .336 last season, Gonzalez is hitting .234 in 2011. He's 3 for 21 against the Giants this season.Clayton Mortensen (0-0, 0.55) is scheduled to make his second start for the Rockies. His other start came at San Francisco on May 7 when he allowed two runs, four hits and walked four in six innings of a 3-2 loss.Freddy Sanchez, who had two hits against Mortensen, doubled and scored a run in San Francisco's 3-0, six-inning win over the Cubs on Saturday.The Giants have won nine of 11 despite averaging 3.3 runs during that stretch. They've overcome that lack of production by posting a 2.94 ERA in that span."You're going to have to throw the ball well to win ballgames if you're having a tough time scoring runs," manager Bruce Bochy said.