Barry's Back: Zito Gaining Old Form and Support

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Welcome to the Planet Zito. Excuse me if it seems a bit crowed. The population of supporters has been growing rapidly, as Barry Zito continues his post-all star break dominance.

No earned runs in his last 12 innings, lowering his ERA nearly one whole point since the break, describes what kind of second half San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito is having.

His ERA stood at 5.01. Now, it stands at a nifty 4.09. Granted his ERA in July was 4.50, he managed to strike out 30 batters in 36 innings. This month, however, is where Zito has really turned it up.

With an ERA of 2.17 in August, Zito is not only helping the Giants during a playoff race, he's earning the fan support he's lacked since joining the Giants.

This month, Zito has made the kind of starts that made him the $126 million dollar man in the first place. Opponents are only hitting a measly .190 off him this month. Giants fans now have a reason to root for Zito, who is helping the Giants gain ground in the Wild Card race.

As focused as Zito seems to be, the Giants ultimate flaw is their offense. Zito has no wins in his last two starts, despite going 12 innings combined, allowing no earned runs.

If the Giants want to make the postseason, they're going to have to score some runs. And Zito just needs to keep on doing what's he's been doing.

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