Tim Lincecum has followed up a rough 2012 season with a poor spring.

He has a 10.97 ERA in the exhibition season. He missed a pair of starts with a blister on his middle finger.

Lincecum gave up five runs on six hits and three walks against the Athletics on Saturday.

"Some good moments," Lincecum said, "and some pretty bad ones. Letting batters get away and not finishing guys off. That's a little rough. Outside of that, I had the strikeouts. Stuff was moving around pretty well. It just goes back to location."

The righty is hopeful that things will be better by the regular season.

"Once I get there," Lincecum said, "which I don't feel like I'm too far off, with the pitch counts getting up as well. It should just kind of coincide and my timing should be good."

Aside from age and injury concerns, Albert Pujols is no longer an MVP candidate because of a declining walk rate.

Known for his good eye, Pujols has seen his walk rate dip from 15 percent in 2010 to nine percent in 2011 to below eight percent last year.

In addition, his 11 percent strikeout rate was his highest since his rookie season in 2001.

Max Scherzer is one of just four players in American League history to average at least 11 strikeouts per nine innings in a season.

Detroit teammate Justin Verlander and Scherzer finished 1-2 in total strikeouts in 2012. They're only the sixth set of teammates since 1900 to rank 1-2 in the majors in the same season.

"The American League is pretty good. There are some really, really good pitchers in this league," Scherzer said. "That's a big category to be a part of -- and a sign of success. Typically, it's a sign of success when you generate that many strikeouts. So for both of us to finish 1-2, that's a pretty good accomplishment."

For Scherzer, it's all about repeating his delivery. After he found his delivery in the middle of last season, he went 11-3 with a 2.53 ERA in his last 19 starts, with 143 strikeouts in just 117 1/3 innings.

"When you struggle and then you find something mechanically that works for you, you don't have to write it down," he said. "That's just instilled in you. I know exactly what it feels like to have my hands break in front of my body. And now, it's just second nature."