This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Fans may have funneled into Smith's Ballpark on Monday night to see The Freak, but they got a 32-year-old Tim Lincecum instead. The windup looked the same, but the consistency and ball location just weren't present as Lincecum gave up four earned runs — including two home runs — and four hits in 41⁄3 innings pitched.

In the first inning, the recently demoted former Cy Young winner dug the Bees in a 3-0 hole, showing the very reason why Lincecum recently agreed to move down to Triple-A baseball.

The Bees ended up dropping the final game of a four-game homestand against the Round Rock Express, 5-4 in 11 innings.

Recently, Lincecum struggled on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels and dealt with a September hip surgery that still nags at him. In the fourth and final home game against Round Rock, the righty did flash remnants of his younger days, but as a whole, it was obvious that Lincecum is going to need a drastic upswing in performance for another shot at the majors.

Still, Lincecum is persistent on getting called back up and finding a spot in the rotation. In his mind, it's still not quite time to retire the glove.

As Lincecum left in the fifth, fans whistled and cheered. But it wasn't because he had a good night on the mound; it was because they still marveled at seeing a former great on the mound.

Turning Point • The Bees loaded the bases in the 10th with two outs to spare and Sherman Johnson up to bat. But that opportunity quickly went down the drain as Johnson played right into a 1-2- 3 double play that stranded all three runners. In the 11th, Matt Duffy made the Bees pay with a solo home run to that ultimately decided the game.

Bees MVP • The Bees entered the bottom of the first inning in a 0-3 hole as Lincecum immediately struggled in his home start debut. But after Salt Lake strung together three straight singles, Todd Cunningham stepped up to the box and smashed a three-run homer to deep left field, evening the score.

Hidden hero • Pitcher A.J. Achier kept the Bees alive with two clutch, late-game innings without any hits or runs. If it weren't for Johnson's critical error in the 10th, the Bees were well on their way to close the four-game home stand with a win.