Giants' Lincecum enters game out of bullpen

• The Giants moved Lincecum to the bullpen
• Bochy named right-hander Ryan Vogelsong his Game 3 starter
• Lincecum has struggled as a starter this season

SAN FRANCISCO — Two years ago, Tim Lincecum was a postseason hero for the San Francisco Giants, winning the opener of each series on the way to a championship.

This postseason he's coming out of the bullpen.

With the Giants trailing 4-0 to the Cincinnati Reds, Lincecum was called in to relieve George Kontos in the sixth inning.

Lincecum retired the first three batters he faced, including an inning ending strikeout to Ryan Hanigan.

It was his first relief appearance since Game 6 of the 2010 NLCS.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that Ryan Vogelsong will take the mound for Tuesday's Game 3 of their National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds, while Lincecum was available to pitch out of the bullpen in Game 2.

Bochy did not announce a Game 4 starter, but it seems probable that Barry Zito will get the call, considering the Giants won his last 11 starts and he had a 3.03 ERA in September and October.

Lincecum, on the other hand, had a 4.63 ERA in six September starts, although San Francisco won five of them. Despite a second-half resurgence that petered out toward the end, the two-time Cy Young Award winner endured by far the worst season of his career, going 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA and allowing more runs than any starter in the NL.

"These things are never easy,'' Bochy said. "I go back to 2010, when Zito wasn't even on the (postseason) roster. That was one of the toughest calls I had to make, but Barry was great about it.

"Timmy is staying sharp and you have to do what you think is right and we think it's the right thing to do with the way Vogey is throwing the ball, and Timmy hasn't been as sharp this year.''

Vogelsong, an All-Star in a breakout season last year at 34, was the Giants' most consistent starter in the first half of 2012, posting a 2.36 ERA. He stumbled markedly afterward, doubling his ERA to 4.78 after the break, but found his way in his final three starts, allowing one earned run in 17 innings.

"The way Ryan has been throwing the ball his last couple of starts,'' Bochy said, "he's been on with his command and his stuff, and we like where he's at right now.''