By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-What a last seven days for Tim Lincecum on the mound for the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

After throwing his second no-hitter in as many years on Wednesday against the San Diego Padres, Lincecum followed that up by going eight innings, allowing zero runs on four hits, walking just two and striking out six and the Giants broke their four-game losing streak with a 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinal before a crowd of 41,152, the 292nd conxecutive sellout at AT&T Park.

By going eight innings against the Cardinals, and after throwing a complete game no-hitter on Wednesday, Lincecum extended his scoreless streak up to 17.

Buster Posey gave the Giants their first run since Saturday night, as he smashed a double to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning that scored Hunter Pence from first base.

Pablo Sandoval then followed Posey’s double with a two-run home run over the left-center wall for his 10th home run of the season, and the 100th home run of his career.

Sandoval is the 19th player to hit 100 home runs in a Giants uniform since they moved to the West Coast in 1958.

The Giants added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he Pence lashed a double to left field that glanced off the glove of former California Golden Bears player Allen Craig to John Jay and on the play, Juan Perez scored after he led off the inning with a single.

Hector Sanchez drove in the Giants fifth and final run of the game, as he grounded out to former St. Francis (Mountain View) standout Daniel Descalso at second base to score Pence from third base.

Cardinals pitcher Marco Gonzales went just four and one-thirds innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out two, as he lost for the first time all season.