A few hours before today's game at Turner Field, Giants Manager Bruce Bochy was asked if he'd shut down Barry Zito in the event the left-hander approaches the dreaded 20-loss mark.
Bochy was forceful. He'll keep giving Zito the ball.
After a 5-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves, Zito made the conversation look like a moot point. He dazzled over seven shutout innings, and even picked up Aaron Rowand after the Gold Glove center fielder dropped two catchable balls.
Rowand also hit a tape-measure home run in the sixth inning, tacking on to a three-run lead that the Giants handed to Zito before he threw his first pitch.
The fourth run was the magic one. Zito improved to 97-5 in his career when receiving at least four runs of support.
It was only the fifth time this season that the Giants scored at least four runs for Zito; he is 5-0 in those starts, and 12-1 in 14 such outings over his two seasons with the club.
Zito (7-15) helped the Giants take three of four to win a regular-season series at Turner Field for the first time in the ballpark's 11-year history. The Giants hadn't won a regular-season road series against the Braves since May 28-30, 1993, at Fulton County Stadium.
To give you an idea of how much time has passed, the Giants won that rubber game on Barry Bonds' three-run home run - the 190th of his career - off Tom Glavine in the seventh inning. Glavine spoiled a chance at his 81st victory; he has 305 now.
The Giants had been 0-11-3 in 14 series at Turner Field before this four-game, Friday-Monday affair.A few months ago, it appeared Zito was destined to become the first National League pitcher to lose 20 decisions since Phil Niekro went 21-20 for the Braves in 1979.
But on the days he avoids walking hitters, Zito has been more than adequate. He issued two bases on balls and only had to wriggle out of one significant threat, when he got Chipper Jones to pop up to strand runners at second and third in the third inning.
Zito appears to have eight starts remaining this season. Keiichi Yabu and Sergio Romo pitched an inning apiece to protect the shutout.
Pablo Sandoval had another multiple-hit game, rapping an RBI single in the first inning. Dave Roberts started the three-run rally by yanking a triple down the right-field line off Jorge Campillo.
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