SAN FRANCISCO — When do you call Tim Lincecum's effort complete?

When he wears a World Series ring? When he captures a Cy Young Award?

Or when he shakes hands with teammates after finishing his own victory?

Lincecum got within two outs of doing just that Monday night, but Giants Manager Bruce Bochy was compelled to remove him after he loaded the bases in the ninth inning.

It was just the second time in his 53 major league starts that Lincecum pitched into the ninth.

Lincecum didn't get his complete game or a shutout — the Giants bullpen allowed two inherited runners to score before Sergio Romo finished a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks — but the smallish crowd appreciated the effort nonetheless.

Lincecum received a standing ovation as he walked off the mound after throwing 127 pitches.

Bengie Molina hit a three-run homer in the third inning to support Lincecum (16-3), whose winning percentage is the best in the majors and ranks second in San Francisco history through 19 decisions. Only Gaylord Perry (17-2 in 1966) had a better mark.

Lincecum would have filled a major hole in his Cy Young credentials by pitching a complete game. Arizona's Brandon Webb, who leads the league with 19 victories, has thrown three of them, including one shutout.

But he might have cemented his status as the best pitcher in the league, anyway. He lowered his NL-best ERA to 2.54, added nine strikeouts to his major league leading total of 225 and dominated a team fighting to stay in a pennant race.

Lincecum brought a 96 mph fastball and got an early feel for his changeup, which was bad news for a strikeout-prone Diamondbacks lineup. He struck out two batters in the first inning and fanned the side in the second inning, each time drawing a louder reaction from the stands.

The paid crowd of 30,252 was a few hundred off the smallest in nine seasons at AT&T Park, but you wouldn't know it from the way the fans reacted in Pied Piper fashion every time Lincecum struck out a batter.

Lincecum made history with a called third strike to Chris Young in the sixth inning. It was the 1,089th strikeout by a Giants pitcher this season, tying the San Francisco-era record set by the 1998 staff.

Lincecum broke the record when the next hitter, Adam Dunn, was caught looking at a changeup.

But Lincecum was efficient, too. He didn't walk a batter over the first seven innings and held down his pitch count by inducing a pair of double-play grounders, including one in the fifth when shortstop Omar Vizquel fielded a grounder and glided across second base before making the throw.

Lincecum got another double play to make it through the eighth inning with 109 pitches but couldn't work a clean ninth inning.

The Giants didn't blitz the Diamondbacks for a 10-run inning, but behind Lincecum, their five-run third inning pretty much had the same effect. Dave Roberts, Randy Winn and Pablo Sandoval each hit singles off Yusmeiro Petit to precede Molina's homer, which a fan gloved in the first row of the left field bleachers.

Crew chief Tim McClelland, secure in the on-field ruling, did not consult instant replay.

Molina's three-run homer gave him a career-high 82 RBIs.

The Giants tacked on a fifth run when Roberts drew a bases-loaded walk, sending Petit to the bench.

Prior to the game, Melvin said Lincecum deserved to be mentioned alongside Webb in Cy Young discussions.

"He's got dominating stuff and he's been consistent all year," Melvin said. "That's what you want: A dominating starter who gives you quality every time out. I'm sure they like their guy. We like our guy, too."