With a former Cy Young winner returning from injury, the San Francisco Giants offense decided to return from its time on the disabled list on Tuesday as well. Enigmatic and inconsistent pitcher Barry Zito made his return from the disabled list for the first time in his big league career against the Chicago Cubs Tuesday night and looked no worse for the time off.
Zito followed up his two-hit shutout in his final rehab start at Triple-A Fresno, allowing 2 runs and scattering 4 hits over seven strong innings in the second game of a day-night double header at Wrigley Field in a 6-3 Giants victory. His daytime counterpart, Ryan Vogelsong, was much shakier, but the Giants offense was the story in this one, combining for 30 hits and 19 runs in the Giants sweep of the twin-bill from the Windy City.
Zito, 33, made his first start in the Majors since going on the DL with a right mid-foot sprain over two months ago. In four rehab starts in the Minors, the veteran left-hander was 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA, and he carried his hot streak into Tuesday night's start.
The walks that normally hound Zito were almost nonexistent and the 2002 Cy Young winner was a force on the mound. He only struck out three, but surrendered just one free pass while consistently getting ahead of the National League's second-best hitting offense.
His only wrinkle came in the third inning, when he gave up a two-run home run to Lou Montanez, but after that frame, no Cubs baserunner was allowed into scoring position.
Montanez's homer temporarily gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead, but the suddenly explosive San Francisco offense put up a five run fifth inning to give the club a lead it wouldn't lose again.
The run output was a rare treat for Zito, who's received 2 runs or less in 70% of his starts since coming across the bay from Oakland in 2007. The run support was a key boost for Zito, but it was a godsend for Game 1 starter Ryan Vogelsong.
For the first time in his magical 2011 campaign Vogelsong looked mortal, giving up more than 2 runs for the first time all season. The journeyman turned potential All-Star finished giving up six hits including two homers and six runs (three earned) in a four walk, six strikeout 107-pitch outing that notched him win number six on the year. The Giants 33 year-old right-hander was spotted a three run lead in the top of the first inning which he promptly surrendered in the bottom of the second.
That would seem to be a death knell for the Giants offense, but Tuesday they looked like anything but the lowest scoring team in Major League Baseball. To add to the strangeness of the afternoon, the pulse of the offense came from the slumping trio of Aaron Rowand, Miguel Tejada, and Pat Burrel, who combined for half of the team's 18 hits.
After the Cubs evened the score in inning number two, the offense continued the timely outburst with three more runs in the third before exploding for five more in the fifth. Vogelsong's normally sharp control failed him in the bottom half of the fifth frame, as he walked three to give up three unearned runs in a 38-pitch nightmare. The Giants would eventually win Game 1 by a final of 13-7 though, setting season highs in both runs and hits while getting hits from every man in the lineup, including Vogelsong.
Despite the rare offensive excellence, the story of the day was Zito's return to the rotation and his performance didn't disappoint. The veteran lefty picked up his first win of the season at the Major League level after struggling to an 0-1 record and 6.23 ERA in his first three starts.
Zito, the highest paid Giant, is essentially auditioning for a spot in the starting rotation after being demoted to the fifth spot in the rotation this year and being left off the 2010 postseason roster. With Jonathan Sanchez slumping and on the DL, Barry Zito has a chance to at least make the choice of what to do with him harder if he can consistently deliver starts like Tuesday's. The future is yet to be seen, but for one start, Zito has Bay Area fans hooked.
Sources:
Ann Killion, Full circle: Giants' Ryan Vogelsong goes from flameout to team's ace, SI.com
Chris Haft, Sharp Zito helps Giants sweep doubleheader, MLB.com
Chris Haft, Giants' bats break out in twin-bill opener, MLB.com
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