We can now say Tim Lincecum has hurled in this World Series

On Tuesday, Tim Lincecum hurled (in the icky way). On Wednesday, Lincecum hurled (in a very effective way). Then Lincecum got hurt.

The Giants pitcher threw a no-hitter in June but was subsequently dropped from the rotation. He was on San Francisco’s postseason roster as a relief pitcher, but hadn’t made an appearance through the first game of the World Series.

Lincecum also didn’t make an appearance during the player introductions before Tuesday’s Game 1. It was a bit of a mystery, although a pair of San Francisco sports reporters came close to guessing the truth.

No explanation from Giants on Lincecum absence. At time for intros, he wasn't in clubhouse. They did not search back areas, bathrooms.

Pretty sure I see hoodied Lincecum on the rail now. No explanation of where he was. Maybe some bad BBQ.

As it turned out, Lincecum probably was in a bathroom, and if not barbecue, something he ate may have had something to do with it, because, while his teammates were receiving introductions on the sport’s biggest stage, the pitcher was somewhere backstage, throwing up.

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Giants Manager Bruce Bochy gave the update on the Lincecum upchuck Wednesday, telling the Associated Press, “I don’t know if he knows [why he was vomiting]. He was down in the bullpen, I think, the second inning.”

The Giants fan-favorite stayed in the bullpen throughout Tuesday’s opener, despite some hopes that, with the score very much in San Francisco’s favor, he might see some action.

On Wednesday, the situation reversed, with the Royals taking a big lead in the sixth inning. And that opened the door for Lincecum to finally walk through the bullpen door and out toward the mound.

In fact, Lincecum was so excited to finally get in a game that he failed to notice that no other players were taking the field at that moment. You see, it was the middle of the seventh inning, time to put the game on hold for a rendition of “God Bless America.”

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Not a problem, though — Lincecum just doffed his cap and took a spot next to the umpires, who were lined up on the field. Hey, it was a much prouder moment than puking somewhere in the bowels of the stadium.

In his first action since Sept. 28, Lincecum performed very well. He went 1.2 innings, struck out two and did not allow a hit, walk or run.

Unfortunately, Lincecum could not quite make it through two full innings, although he came agonizingly close. It was both literally and figuratively agonizing, because he was one strike away from retiring Salvador Perez for the third out in the eighth when his back tightened.

Lincecum could not go on any further, and reliever Santiago Casilla was called in to get Perez to swing at strike three. “We’re just going to treat it, see how it feels tomorrow,” Lincecum told the AP. “But right now it feels pretty stiff.”

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On the Fox telecast, it was pointed out that Lincecum lost his balance on his final delivery, possibly causing the injury. Here is video of that moment.

lincecum calls pain in lower back/left side region. said he'd need doc to say whether it's hip-related. has fingers crossed

It would be a shame if Lincecum had to miss the rest of the World Series, partly because it appeared that — after patiently waiting for a chance — he was pitching his way into a more prominent role out of the bullpen, but mostly because baseball is just more fun when the floppy-haired string bean with the dramatic delivery is involved.

But if this is the last we see of Lincecum, at least he left the World Series tossing strikes, after having started it tossing his cookies.

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