By AP/St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – The pitching ace of the San Francisco Giants has won the National League Cy Young Award in one of the closest ballots in the award's history.
Tim Lincecum beat Cardinals hurlers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright for his second straight Cy Young award. Just 10 points separated the top three pitchers, and Wainwright actually received the most first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Wainwright led the National League in wins. He finished the season with a 19-8 record and a 2.32 earned run average. He also won the 2009 National League Gold Glove. Carpenter, the 2005 Cy Young Award winner, compiled a 17-4 record with a 2.21 ERA - the best in the National League - despite missing the first part of the season with injuries.