Braves Still Can't Beat Barry Zito, Lose To Giants 5-2

Another start against the Braves, another win for Barry Zito.

Zito improved his record against Atlanta to 5-1 and continued to give the Braves fits, shutting them out for eight innings to give the Giants a 5-2 win.

Atlanta hitters had chances against Zito, but they failed to cash in a pair of walks in the first inning and two singles by Dan Uggla and Brian McCann to start the second inning. For the next six innings, a total of two hitters reached base against Zito: Uggla, who drew a one-out walk in the fourth inning but was picked off, and Reed Johnson when he led off the sixth inning with a double but was stranded there.

Tommy Hanson also escaped early trouble in the first two innings, but Angel Pagan walked with one out in the third inning and scored on Pablo Sandoval's two-out single. He avoided another Giants rally in the fourth inning, but they hurt him in the fifth and it started, like many rallies do, with a leadoff walk.

The walk was to Pagan, his second of the game, and Marco Scutaro chased him to third with a hit-and-run single. Hanson struck out Sandoval, but a bunt single by Hunter Pence allowed Pagan to score. A ground ball by Brandon Belt escaped the grasp of a diving Freddie Freeman for a third run; Hector Sanchez ended Hanson's night with a two-run double.

Braves hitters had no chance against Zito, striking out five times against him through eight innings. The Giants lefty tried for a complete game shutout, but allowed consecutive singles to Martin Prado and Chipper Jones to start the ninth. Jeremy Affeldt relieved Zito and surrendered a long double to Freddie Freeman, scoring two. The tying run actually came to the plate after Uggla walked, but Sergio Romo induced a pair of groundouts to end any further chance at a rally.