Giants 2, Royals 1

That’s what dads are for, right?

Tim Lincecum, who entered today’s Cactus League contest with a team-worst 13.80 ERA had a little chat with his old man, who’s in town to watch his two-time Cy Young award winning son play baseball.

A few hours later, Chris Lincecum left proud.

The Freak looked every bit like the freak we’ve all come to know and love, pitching four strong innings to help the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals, 2-1, at Scottsdale Stadium. [box score]

Conor Gillaspie hit his first spring homer and Gregor Blanco drove home Emmanuel Burriss with the Giants’ other run to help San Francisco improve its record to 8-3-1 this spring.

The Giants head back to Scottsdale Stadium tomorrow to face the Chicago Cubs. Madison Bumgarner (0-0, 1.59) takes the hill for San Fran and the Cubbies will go with Chris Volstad (0-0, 0.00).

NOTES:  Lincecum threw 58 pitches in his four innings of work (37 for strikes). He retired the first seven batters he faced and picked a runner off first base … There’s no way Blanco doesn’t win the fourth outfielder job with the way he’s playing. The Venezuelan League MVP went 3-for-3 to raise his average to .545 and nabbed his league-leading sixth stolen base of the spring … Burriss also stole a base (his second) to give the Giants an MLB-best 16 steals this spring … Gregor isn’t the only Giants player “on the bubble” and trying to make a case for an Opening Day gig. Brett Pill went 2-for-4 today with a double. He nearly blasted a home run in the first inning but the ball was caught at the wall by Royals centerfielder Jarrod Dyson. Pill is hitting .321 this spring with a homer and 5 RBI … Catcher Eli Whiteside went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He also made a throwing error when he air-mailed a throw into centerfield trying to nab Dyson stealing second. Dyson moved to third on the error and scored on a grounder—Lincecum’s only run allowed, it was unearned … Wilmin Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get the save … Freddy Sanchez DH’d today and went 0-for-3 with a walk. He is expected to get his first start at second base on Thursday or Friday … Buster Posey will be behind the plate for four innings tomorrow and then DH on Wednesday … The Giants made four more cuts today, sending second baseman Joe Panik, catcher Andrew Susac and two others to their minor league camp … Mike Fontenot (groin) will be back in action tomorrow.