Barry Zito, stopper? No way.
The Giants got swept in Southern California, losing six straight games to the Padres and Dodgers. Zito failed to end the slide. He got the start Thursday and gave up six runs in five innings, leaving his ERA at a perfect 10.00. It wasn't all Zito.
The defense was iffy. Left fielder Fred Lewis made a poor play pursuing Matt Kemp's liner, and Kemp wound up with a triple, prompting a two-run rally.
The offense was iffy. Hitters were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The baserunning was iffy. Emmanuel Burriss, in the first inning, broke late for the plate on Pablo Sandoval's grounder and was nailed in a rundown.
But Zito did little to give the Giants much of a chance. He gave up a home run to his first batter, Rafael Furcal, and it went downhill from there. Though at times he seemed to have an effective fastball, Zito overall had another lousy outing.
He left in the sixth inning after loading the bases with no outs. He plunked Russell Martin, then walked the next two batters to earn the hook.
All those runners scored, and the Giants lacked the firepower to come back. So they packed their bags, boarded a plane and headed back to San Francisco, knowing they still haven't won a road game in 2009.
It's the first time in the team's San Francisco history (since 1958) that the Giants lost their first six road games. Last time it happened: 1947, the year Jackie Robinson broke the color line.
DODGERS 7, GIANTS 2: For the first time since August 2006, the Giants got swept in a three-game set at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers had a 3-2 lead entering the sixth, but Barry Zito failed to get an out that inning and was pulled with the bases loaded. Brandon Medders spelled Zito, and Casey Blake hit a sacrifice fly and Doug Mientkiewicz drilled a two-run double.
