Gilde "Austria Red Devils" » hes just so calm and fundamentally

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecums no-hitter last weekend at San Diego provided a rare first-half highlight for the stumbling San Francisco Giants. And, perhaps, a glimpse into the Freaks immediate future in the Bay Area. General manager Brian Sabean said on his regular radio show Thursday that the Giants dont plan to trade the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner this season. "Thats definitely good. Ive always had a great time here in SF and I just hope to see that go further," Lincecum said after the Giants held a post-All-Star break workout at AT&T Park on Thursday night. Lincecum is in the final season of a $40.5 million, two year contract. "I expect Timmy to be in a Giant uniform," Sabean said on KNBR-680. "I find it hard to believe that hed pitch elsewhere this year." Now, the defending World Series champions must get back to work in a hurry if they want to hang around in an NL West that is still wide open. The first-place Arizona Diamondbacks are in town for a three-game series starting Friday night to kick off the second half. "We know where were at, and what has to happen in the second half, and thats us getting more consistent in all facets of the game," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said as the Giants held a light workout Thursday evening. "This things not going to happen right away as far as getting right back to where you want to be. Its a gradual thing, and that happens by playing good baseball." At 50-45, Arizona leads the fourth-place Giants (43-51) by 6 1/2 games -- so this series will be important for both clubs. Arizona will look to separate, while San Francisco hopes to gain ground in a tight division. The Giants are struggling in every phase, with a daunting August schedule on the horizon. First, theres an important nine-game homestand, which includes a 10th game at AT&T Park on Tuesday in a doubleheader with Cincinnati in which the first game features the Reds as home team to make up a July 4 rainout. Players and coaches held a team meeting Friday in San Diego. Nobody is counting out the Giants at this stage. "This is the team thats won two out of the last three World Series. Theyre still the king of the hill in this division," D-backs infielder Cliff Pennington said. "Just being ahead of them after the first half doesnt knock the team that won the World Series two out of the last three years out of it." Still, San Francisco has lost 14 of its last 20 games and is desperately seeking some momentum. Not to mention some good fortune. "They seem eager to get back. Thats great news," Bochy said. "I think its pretty simple, really: Early, our pitching wasnt what it normally is, and we went through a month really not hitting, not putting runs on the board. That was our biggest issue. It got contagious and we had a hard time getting out of it. ... Its going to be up to us to find a way to get some runs. We just got shut down too many times the last four or five weeks." Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson expects the Giants to fight their way back into the race despite all the challenges, saying, "I dont look at them as a fourth-place team." While centre fielder Angel Pagan hit an inside-the-park home run May 25, he hasnt played since and had surgery on his left hamstring that will sideline him perhaps for the rest of the year -- though the Giants and Pagan remain optimistic it wont be that long. It was a tough blow for the Giants after Pagan re-signed during the off-season for $40 million over four years. "He feels he will be back before the seasons over," Bochy said. The Giants hope to get right-hander Ryan Vogelsong back sometime next month after he heads out on a rehab assignment, perhaps soon. The 2011 All-Star broke two bones in his right pinkie area and also dislocated a knuckle in the hand on a swing May 20 and underwent surgery the next day. Vogelsongs return would be a boost to a rotation that, aside from All-Star lefty Madison Bumgarner, has been far from steady. Both Vogelsong and Pagan have been in Arizona working back from their injuries. Lincecum tossed a 148-pitch gem against the Padres last Saturday at Petco Park for his first career no-hitter. "Im just glad I dont see a cast on his arm," Bochy said. Lincecum said he feels "normal." Thursday would have been his turn to pitch without the break. He is set to start Monday night at home against the Reds. "I felt fine today throwing," he said. "I felt like if I had to throw, if today had been the would-be day, I would have been fine." If Lincecums outing provides a positive entering the second half, Bochy will take it. Hell take just about any advantage right now. Yet plenty of teams would like nothing more than to take down the franchise that has won two of the past three World Series championships. Gibson, for one. He is thinking big in mid-July, like October big. "I dont want a vacation. I want a short off-season," he said, referring to a long post-season run. "That goes without saying." Notes: The Giants All-Stars, Buster Posey, Bumgarner, Sergio Romo and Marco Scutaro, had the night off. So did Jeff Francoeur and Sandy Rosario, as both were waiting for the births of babies. ... Arizona RHP Ian Kennedy had his beard shaved off at a barber shop during the break. "I treated myself to an actual shave Monday," he said. "Its the first time in 26 months since my daughter, Nora, was born." Why the new look? At 3-6, "I needed a change." Fake Yeezy Powerphase . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Fake Yeezy 500 . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. http://www.fakeyeezysforsale.com/fake-yeezy-boost-700/ .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Fake Yeezy 950 . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Fake Yeezys Online . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. What do you need to know about last nights big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say, Morning, Joe.Give us more Florida: If the hockey gods have a sense of drama, they will make sure the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers finally play each other in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. Fans would go crazy to see two Florida teams play and the players would dig into that rivalry as well. On Monday, the Panthers defeated the Lightning 3-1. Reilly Smith scored the winner in the waning minutes of regulation and goaltender Roberto Luongo finished with 34 saves to snap a personal four-game losing skid. These two teams will battle for Atlantic Division supremacy all season. The win by the Panthers (6-6-1) over the Lightning (7-5-1) should be exactly what they needed to push them in the right direction. The Panthers have been getting contributions from forward Vincent Trocheck, who has six goals and two assists for eight points in 13 games. Adding Jonathan Marchessault during the offseason was huge: the former Lightning forward is leading the Panthers with seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 13 games. But Florida needs more contributions throughout the lineup to set up this playoff matchup. Make it happen, hockey gods.Rask and roll: Theres no way anyone would have predicted Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask would be 7-1-0 with a 1.74 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage, along with two shutouts, to start the season. Monday night, he made 32 saves to help the Bruins to a 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres. Rask will have to be Bostons best player if the Bruins want to erase two seasons of misery and return to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Rask won the Vezina Trophy for the 20113-14 season; hes at his best when hes getting help from the defense in front of him, which hasnt been the case in the previous two seasons.dddddddddddd And when you watch Rask this season, it almost appears as if he doesnt care in that hes just so calm and fundamentally sound that he makes it look easy. But burnout is a concern; he shouldnt play more than 60 games this season. Thats a problem for the Bruins, as backup Anton Khudobin is sidelined with an upper-body injury and the goaltending depth hasnt been sound behind Rask. He has been outstanding so far and he will need to continue to be consistent if the Bruins are to return to the postseason.Trouba trade coming: The Jacob Trouba standoff with the Winnipeg Jets has been resolved -- for now. At 6-foot-3, 202 pounds, Trouba is a big, tough, mobile and skilled defenseman. He has a huge shot and a nasty streak, a cornerstone as a right-handed blueliner. But staying away from the team will affect his standing in the dressing room with his teammates. Ryan OReilly and the Colorado Avalanche went through the same thing before he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. Trouba, 22, signed a two-year contract with the Jets worth $2.5 million this season and $3.5 million next season. If he hadnt signed by Dec. 1, he would have been ineligible to play this season. While the ink dries on his new contract, lets say this: He will be traded this season. Sure, his talents fit well on Winnipegs blue line, but the damage has been done. He asked for a trade in September and now that he has a bridge deal, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will get the most out of Trouba before the next contract. ' ' '