Talk about a freak — Tim Lincecum needed just 15 wins to bag another NL Cy Young Award.

Yup, throw out those old baseball cards. Wins and losses don't mean much anymore when it comes time for voters to pick baseball's best pitchers. It's all about WHIP, FIP, BABIP and other lines of alphabet soup.

"It's turned into a game of complete numbers and statistics and what people do with that," Lincecum said.

Lincecum won the Cy Young Award yesterday for the second straight year, emerging from one of the tightest votes in the history of the honor to become the first repeat winner since Randy Johnson.

Only 10 points separated the top three vote-getters. Chris Carpenter was second and St. Louis teammate Adam Wainwright finished third despite getting the most first-place votes.

Lincecum, nicknamed "The Freak" for his giant stride, led the NL with 261 strikeouts and tied for the league lead with four complete games and two shutouts.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NO. 21 OKLAHOMA ST. RALLIES FOR 31-28 WIN

Third-string quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the second half to rally No. 12 Oklahoma State from an 11-point deficit for a 31-28 win over Colorado last night at Stillwater, Okla.

With starter Zac Robinson injured and backup Alex Cate ineffective, Weeden took over in the second half and got the offense going for the Cowboys (9-2, 6-1 Big 12).

His 28-yard touchdown pass to Justin Blackmon with 8:11 remaining gave the Cowboys a 31-28 lead to cap a comeback from a 21-10 third-quarter deficit.

Colorado (3-8, 2-5) fumbled away its next possession and punted with 2:45 left. Oklahoma State then made three first downs in running out the clock.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

Los Angeles Galaxy forward and six-time national player of the year Landon Donovan was named the MLS most valuable player yesterday for the first time in his career. ... Right-handed reliever Aaron Heilman was acquired yesterday by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects. ... Robert Allenby of Australia shot a 7-under 65 yesterday for a one-shot lead over Lee Westwood, Chris Wood and Camilo Villegas after the first round of the Dubai World Championship at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.