Lincecum’s shortest start of career foils Giants’ sweep

Because the room fits only five people, Bochy and Co. must decide who’s expendable among starting pitchers not named Madison Bumgarner.

The Giants dropped a 10-2 clunker to the Dodgers on Sunday night, and Tim Lincecum was pulled after 11/3 innings, the shortest start of his nine-year career.

Yusmeiro Petit replaced Lincecum and became the first Giants reliever since Alan Embree in 2001 to give up four homers in a game, and the Giants ruined a chance to sweep the series and overtake the first-place Dodgers for the first time since May 29.

Bochy said Cain, who pitched Saturday at Triple-A Sacramento, might get one more rehab start, but Peavy (93 pitches in six innings Sunday) seems ready to rejoin the Giants’ rotation, perhaps in this weekend’s Rockies series, according to Bochy.

Lincecum has bullpen experience and helped the Giants win the 2012 World Series as a reliever but said, I still want to earn my right as a starter and put the pressure on them to make the decision.

Whether the Giants decide to bump a starter to the bullpen, option Heston (ouch) or put Hudson on the disabled list — at 39, it’s not tough to find an ailment that would allow him some time off — it’ll be an intriguing story not only for who comes out of the rotation, but also for who comes off the roster.

Since beating the Dodgers on May 20 with seven scoreless innings, Lincecum has a 7.00 ERA in six starts.