Barry Zito pitched another great game today. The magic carpet ride continues for the Beezian One. My mom thinks No. 75's resurgence is due to his getting married. She's a big fan of marriage. She likes to see guys "settle down" and is convinced that Mrs. Zito is at least partly responsible for her husband's recent run of on-field success. Hey, I'll buy it. It's at least as good as my explanation: Veteran Savvy Clutchness. Barry Zito is now old enough to be gritty. And he takes the same tools he's always had and adds more moxie to them. That's enough to make him better. Grit + Moxie = Veteran Savvy Clutchness. Zito's pitching will never move the dials on any sabermetric indicators, mostly because he doesn't strike out a lot of hitters and he pitches in a friendly park. He's the same guy, he just seems a lot better. We shouldn't be surprised--baseball games are played by people, and when said people are happier and healthier they most likely will play better. Now add experience and maturity and you have a formula for an athlete to make the best use of his tools. And with a nod to the saberistas, you have to account for luck. What I mean is random variation. You know, streaks and good breaks and all that. Sometimes you just have to ride the hot hand and not question it, I suppose. Keep it rolling, Barry.
Sergio Romo doesn't blow many saves, so it's hard to get too upset. He's been close to automatic. I was impressed by Buster Posey snagging third base in the bottom of the 10th on that pitch Carlos Ruiz couldn't quite handle. Ballsy move, man, imagine if they'd nailed him. The Giants would probably still be playing and it would be the 22nd inning. It was nice to see Andres Torres contribute as well. One thing the Giants like to do is swing the bat, and he swung at the first pitch to get the walk-off win.
The Atlanta Braves (20-13, first place NL East) come to town for three starting tomorrow.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
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