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Zito posts first win as Giants rout Marlins

May 24, 2008 - 3:10 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) - Backed by plenty of run support, Barry Zito finally found his way into the win column.

Zito pitched into the seventh inning and Bengie Molina and Aaron Rowand belted back-to-back home runs in the fourth as the San Francisco Giants cruised to an 8-2 triumph over the Florida Marlins on Friday.

Signed to a seven-year, $126 million deal prior the 2007 season, Zito (1-8) allowed one run and three hits in a season-high 6 1/3 innings in this one. The lefthander also walked four and struck out five while throwing 59 of his 109 pitches for strikes.

"It was good to take a good hard look at myself in the mirror and ask myself what I am going to do about the situation," Zito said. "It was just going out being aggressive and being myself."

"We are all happy for Zito," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's great to get that first one, there's no getting around that."

Molina and Rowand combined to go 5-for-8 with five RBI and four runs scored for the Giants, who have won three in a row.

"They had big days," Bochy said. "It makes it a lot easier when they do what they did. It looked like the day off did them a lot of good."

Jose Castillo also homered in the eighth inning for San Francisco.

Dan Uggla had a run-scoring double in the first inning and a solo home run in the ninth for the Marlins, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

Uggla's blast also tied the club record - set by Gary Sheffield - for the most home runs (11) in a month. Sheffield hit 11 home runs in April 1996.

"I'm not even looking at that, we lost the game," Uggla said of the record. "That doesn't mean anything to me."

The Giants got to Scott Olsen early by scoring two runs in the first inning on an RBI single by Molina and a sacrifice fly by Rowand.

"For us offensively to jump out to a lead, we all felt good about that because we knew Barry was going to go out and throw the ball good," Rowand said.

Olsen got through the second inning unscathed before allowing three runs in the third, highlighted by a two-run double by Rich Aurilia. His night was finished after allowing the two home runs in the fourth.

The 24-year old lefthander endured his shortest outing of the season, allowed seven runs and eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

"It was one of those nights," Olsen said. "I had nothing, I got killed."