By Morris Phillips

Tim Lincecum’s been all over the place since 2010.  Just look at the numbers.

From being a big disappointment at AT&T Park (15-23 record overall and a 6.59 ERA in three starts this year) to his star turn as a reliever in the 2012 playoffs and World Series, to his no-hitter at San Diego in 2013 and to his three consecutive seasons with a losing record, it’s been a mixed bag for Timmy: mostly bad, occasionally good, and every once in a while brilliant.

Then in the off-season the Giants resigned the 29-year old righty to an extremely generous contract that will pay him $17 million this season, and Giants’ fans freaked.

But on Monday, those same fans gave Timmy a rousing round of applause after he allowed a run on two hits and struck out 11 in the Giants 4-2 win over the Braves.  Again those numbers show the peaks and valleys the Franchise has covered: Lincecum lasted 7 2/3 innings and threw 112 pitches to become the last of the Giants’ starters to go at least six innings in a start this season.  In his best start at home since last August when he threw a gem against the Brewers, Licecum had it all going, especially those tricky off-speed pitches.

“Great for Timmy, he came off such a rough outing there (at Pittsburgh where he lasted just four innings).  Great ballgame for us,” manager Bruce Bochy said.

“It was vintage Timmy with his secondary pitches going along with his fastball.”

“He threw a lot of off-speed pitches and threw that heater every once in a while,” Atlanta’s Freddy Freeman said.  “He kept us off balance all night.”

Lincecum’s far and away the Giants’ franchise leader in games of 10 strikeouts or more with 35, but he hadn’t turned the feat in his last 18 starts dating back to 2013.  In fact, with his fastball in decline, Lincecum pulled the feat just three times in 2013, and only once in 2012.

But against the Braves on Monday, Timmy had ‘em flailing away, striking out every hitter in the Braves’ starting lineup with the exception of Freeman, who went 0 for 2 with a walk.  Critics will say Lincecum did what a lot of pitchers have: shut down the big league’s worst offense that’s already scored two or fewer runs 17 times including Monday.

People who aren’t critics, like Giants’ announcer Mike Krukow, like what they saw.  According to Kruk, Lincecum should take this one, run with it and have a great season.  If he does, it would be his first since 2010 when he went 16-10, or 2009 when he won the second of his Cy Young awards with a 15-7 record.  Just like the he did in his high times, Lincecum had command of his pitches, a tight, compact pitching motion and control over his fastball, which these days he throws sparingly.

The Giants did their part behind Lincecum in the seventh inning when they scored three times to break a 1-1 tie and chase Braves’ starter Gavin Floyd, who to that point had been just as good as Lincecum.  Floyd—making only his second start of the season—had put up four scoreless innings after allowing a well-struck, splash hit home run to the newest Giant, Tyler Colvin.  Then in the seventh, Floyd gave up a single to Hector Sanchez, then watched Brandon Crawford’s grounder ricochet off Freeman’s leg near first base.  The next batter was Colvin, and he made history by being the first Giant to triple and homer in his home debut since Darrell Evans pulled the feat in 1976.  Colvin’s drive put the Giants up 3-1.

“To be a part of a winning ballclub and get the hits I did right there, help Timmy out, he pitched a great game, I feel pretty good about it,” Colvin said.

The Giants increased their lead in the NL West to 2 ½ games over the Rockies, with the Dodgers 4 ½ games back after they beat the Marlins Monday in Los Angeles.  The Giants are the first major league team this season to win 25 games after winning nine of their last 11 and surpassing the Brewers as the early pacesetter.

On Tuesday, the Giants continue their seven-game homestand with Ryan Vogelsong facing off against Atlanta’s Mike Minor.