"You know a team is on the verge of a death spiral when the manager has to order his players to have fun. Bruce Bochy reached that point, delivered his message and watched the Giants take heed with a 3-0 victory over the Marlins on Saturday night.

After pitching one of his best games of the year, striking out 10 and allowing two singles in seven innings, Tim Lincecum revealed that Bochy convened the boys after Friday night's 2-1 loss and told them to stop scraping their chins on the carpet.

It makes sense now. When Pablo Sandoval said the Giants "need to focus a little more on having fun," he was parroting Bochy, who was in a surprisingly good mood after the Giants lost for the 11th time in 14 games.

They were a different team Saturday, literally and figuratively. They placed Andres Torres on the disabled list with a bruised right calf, which took a direct hit from a foul ball Friday, and recalled rookie Brandon Belt from Triple-A Fresno for his fourth stint in the majors.

Then, on an 86-degree night with lightning illuminating the sky, Jeff Keppinger hit his first Giants home run, in the first inning against Javier Vazquez. The Giants had a run, and as Aubrey Huff said, "You only need one when Timmy is pitching like that."

Lincecum continued an outstanding August (three earned runs in 21 2/3 innings) by stuffing a team whose manager, Jack McKeon, questioned his All-Star credentials after Bochy picked him over a Florida starter."