Giants’ Tim Lincecum throws no-hitter against Padres

San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum threw his second career no-hitter Wednesday in a 4-0 win over the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Lincecum’s first no-hitter came against the Padres on July 13.

He is the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season, joining Dodgers pitchers Josh Beckett and Clayton Kershaw. It was the 16th no-hitter in Giants franchise history.

“I’ve always been that guy who will kind of go for the strikeout,” Lincecum said. “I think my first no-hitter I had 13, so I think I was going for those a little bit more often.”

Lincecum struck out six and walked one batter -- Chase Headley in the second inning -- en route to earning his sixth win of the season. The two-time Cy Young award winner wrapped up the no-hitter when San Diego’s Will Venable grounded out to second.

Lincecum only needed 113 pitches to keep the Padres’ batters at bay -- it took him 148 pitches when he no-hit them last year.

The right-hander joins baseball great Christy Mathewson as the only Giants pitchers to have thrown two no-hitters. Lincecum joined Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay as the only pitchers with two Cy Young Awards and two no-hitters.

“Just to be in that company allows me a chance to pat myself on the back a little bit,” he said.

Lincecum, 30, is also the first player to throw a no-hitter against the same team twice since Baseball Hall of Famer Addie Joss threw no-hitters against the Chicago White Sox for Cleveland in 1908 and 1910.

Lincecum even got two hits of his own, becoming the first pitcher with two hits in a no-hitter since Rick Wise hit two homers for Philadelphia against Cincinnati on June 23, 1971.

“Regardless of what they did, I think it’s cool I got two hits anyway because up to today I only had one and a pretty poor batting average,” Lincecum said. “I got that thing above .100 and I feel much better about it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.