Washington hands San Francisco ace Lincecum first loss of season with 7-3 victory

Nationals pound Giants, Lincecum

SAN FRANCISCO — Ian Desmond drove in a season-high three runs, Josh Willingham added two hits and two RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 7-3 on Wednesday night, handing reigning two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum his first loss of the season.

Lincecum lasted just 4 2-3 innings while giving up a season-high six earned runs. Lincecum, who has only one win in his last six starts, allowed six hits and struck out five but walked five and hit a batter.

It was his shortest outing of the season and the most earned runs Lincecum (5-1) has allowed since Sept. 23, 2008.

Luis Atilano (4-1) pitched 5 1-3 innings for the win and didn’t walk anyone for the first time this season while helping Washington beat San Francisco for just the third time in 15 games.

The Nationals, held to two runs on Tuesday by little-known right-hander Todd Wellemeyer, had no problems scoring against Lincecum.

Coming off his worst outing of the season when he gave up five earned runs before drawing a no-decision in an 8-7 loss to Arizona last week, Lincecum pitched out of jams in the first and second innings before the Nationals got to him for three runs in the third.

Adam Kennedy had an RBI single and later scored on Willingham’s double, while Desmond’s two-out single drove in Adam Dunn.

After a 1-2-3 fourth, Lincecum ran into trouble again in the fifth after issuing two leadoff walks, giving up a sacrifice fly and hitting Willingham with one out. The right-hander retired Roger Bernadina on a comebacker but Desmond singled up the middle to make it 6-0.

That ended a rough month for Lincecum. After winning his first four starts and compiling a 1.27 ERA in April, Lincecum finished 1-1 with a 4.99 ERA in May.

Atilano made his first career start against the Giants while going unbeaten on the road. In four career starts away from Nationals Park, he is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA as opposed to 1-1 with a 7.47 ERA at home.

He retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced before giving up a leadoff home run to Juan Uribe in the fifth. Atilano was tagged for another run in the sixth after reliever Doug Slate allowed an RBI double to Pablo Sandoval.

His outing was in complete contrast to his previous start when Atilano gave up a career-high seven runs, six earned, in 4 1-3 innings of a 10-7 loss to the Mets.

Doug Slaten, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard completed the seven-hitter for the Nationals.

Notes: The Giants placed SS Edgar Renteria on the 15-day DL due to a strained right hamstring. Renteria, who just came off the DL from a groin injury, hurt himself while running out a sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s 4-2 win over Washington. … San Francisco LHP Jeremy Affeldt (strained left hamstring) was unavailable but “he’ll be ready real soon,” manager Bruce Bochy said. … Giants 1B Aubrey Huff was charged with an error in the first inning after his return throw to Lincecum following a pickoff attempt glanced off the pitcher’s glove, allowing Ryan Zimmerman to take second. … The Giants plan to retire the jersey number worn by Hall of Famer and former Negro Leagues great Monte Irvin, who spent seven seasons with the team. Irvin wore No. 20.