Off to an 0-3 start, the Giants certainly needed a good start and they got it from probably the least likely member of the rotation -- Barry Zito.
Sure, it's early in the season and sample sizes and all that, but still it was pretty impressive to see Zito pitch like he did on Monday. The 33-year-old shutout the Rockies in San Francisco's 7-0 victory at Coors Field. It was Zito's fifth shutout of his career and his first since April 18, 2003.
The Rockies managed just four hits, and he retired the heart of the Rockies' order in the ninth, getting Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki to fly out to right for the first two innings and then got Todd Helton to ground out to third for the final out. Zito had four strikeouts and no walks.
The Rockies' top five batters in the lineup managed just two hits, singles by Marco Scutaro and Tulowitzki. Zito finished with 114 pitches, 71 strikes.
Meanwhile, Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin was gone after just four innings, throwing 90 pitches, allowing four hits, four runs and five walks.
Zito even had an impressive day at the plate, turning in a 10-pitch at-bat in the seventh inning, culminating in his first base hit of the season.
