Stingy Giants cap sweep

SAN FRANCISCO - Tim Lincecum threw his 167-pound body in front of the plate to save a run. He pounded the strike zone like the Lincecum of old. More than anything, he pitched the San Francisco Giants into first place while winning again at last.

The Freak's funk is over - for now anyway.

Lincecum won for the first time in nearly two months to end the worst drought of his career, and the Giants held the Dodgers scoreless for the third straight game in a 3-0 win Wednesday.

Back in the clubhouse once his day was done, he joked with strength and conditioning coach Carl Kochan.

"I was like, 'Winning,' and he goes, 'It's a lot better than losing,' " Lincecum said. "That's the easiest way to put it. ... To be able to sweep the Dodgers, throw three shutouts and be in the position we're in says a lot about us."

Angel Pagan had an RBI single and drew a bases-loaded walk to back Lincecum (3-8) as the Giants moved into a tie with Los Angeles for first place in the National League West by getting their second sweep of the season. It was the first time in franchise history they shut out the Dodgers in a three-game series, a run spanning 123 seasons.

Lincecum struck out eight and walked two while outpitching Chad Billingsley (4-7) and putting the Giants in first place for the first time since Aug. 9.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner ended a career-long 10-start winless stretch in which he went a career-worst 0-6. He had gone 0-4 in his previous six starts against the Dodgers.

"I think he has returned to the Timmy of before," said Hector Sanchez, catching Lincecum for the second straight start.

The Dodgers were swept in the Bay Area for the second time in as many weeks after losing three straight at Oakland from June 19-21, scoring two runs over the six games here.

"It's been a long nine days," catcher A.J. Ellis said.

Melky Cabrera had an RBI double, and Brandon Crawford tripled among his three hits in San Francisco's first three-game sweep of the Dodgers at AT&T Park since July 30-Aug. 1, 2010.

Billingsley lost his third straight start, tagged for three runs and nine hits in six innings.