Bruce Bochy spoke about Tim Lincecum before today’s game with the A’s. Asked what changed for Lincecum last night when he finally pitched well, Bochy said, “He just had enough, found his game at the right time thank goodness.”

Is Lincecum over the threshold?

“We have a lot of baseball left but this is a good start, considering how that game started. There’s not many pitchers who would have done what he did last night, especially that pitch count and then to go six innings and give us a quality start and help us win that ballgame. He should feel good about that.”

Could Bochy see strain getting to Lincecum?

“It’s still there. Sure he’s been feeling it. It hurts him when he doesn’t do well.”

What changed for Lincecum in the first inning Friday night?

“What went over him I can’t answer that. All I know is I have a great pitching coach and he did go out there. Timmy was mad and he told him get mad at the other team. I know Vogelsong talked to him. Everybody was trying to help him. He just finally said that’s enough. He got mad and took care of business. Hopefully that’s the quality he has out there every time.”

Bochy had the bullpen going in the first inning.

“Oh, that’s the last thing I wanted to do (take Lincecum out). This would have been rock bottom for the kid. He would have had to deal with all the questions, the debates what to do, what’s next. Believe me, I was looking at that pitch count like it was New Year’s Eve, the clock going down. What a great job, remarkable really to get out of that.”

What’s the key to him pitching well?

“I think it’s just controlling yourself, the game. If you’re angry you want to do it in the right way, not let it control you.”

Bochy compares the 2010 slump with this one. Lincecum said he was lazy then, not now.

“I agree with what he said. Through this funk I don’t think he’s ever worked harder. That was probably confusing him a little bit more, he’s putting in a lot of work every day and the results weren’t there. To his credit he never stopped. It’ll pay off. You just want it sooner than later.”

Someone says Lincecum has put on a few pounds. Is Bochy happy about that?

“I don’t know what he’s put on to be honest. I thought he could add a few with his metabolism. The other guy’s got my attention, the one that’s stealing Timmy’s lunch money.”

I wonder who that is.