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Giants-Dodgers Preview

Apr 18, 2010 - 1:46 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

San Francisco (7-3) at Los Angeles (5-5), 4:10 p.m. EDT

The San Francisco Giants already have one of the game's top pitchers, but an improved Barry Zito could give them enough to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers as NL West champions.

The veteran left-hander has already provided the Giants with two strong outings this season and will try to win his first three starts for the first time Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum is undoubtedly San Francisco's ace and pitched six innings of Saturday's 9-0 win over the Dodgers. The Giants, however, could use a little more depth in their rotation if they want to win their first division title since 2003.

Before Lincecum threw his first pitch in the majors, the Giants thought they had their No. 1 starter when they signed Zito to a seven-year, $126 million deal on Dec. 29, 2006. The three-time All-Star, though, hasn't produced the same results from his seven seasons in Oakland.

Zito was 102-63 with the A's and won the 2002 AL Cy Young following a 23-5 campaign. With the Giants, he's 33-43 and hasn't won more than 11 games in any season.

That could change this year if Zito (2-0, 2.25 ERA) can continue his strong start.

He opened the season by throwing six innings in a 3-0 win at Houston on April 6 and followed with a 9-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Monday, giving up three runs and five hits while pitching into the seventh.

"That's two good starts for him," manager Bruce Bochy told the Giants' website. "Hopefully he stays on a roll."

It marked the first time since 2003 that Zito won back-to-back starts to open a season. He was 2-10 with a 5.35 ERA during this month in his three previous seasons.

"I usually feel good in the second half of the season," Zito told the team's website following his latest victory. "My goal is to bring that second-half guy into the first half."

Zito, who hasn't won three consecutive starts since May 23-June 4, 2007, has mixed results in 13 career starts against the Dodgers, going 6-5 with a 4.46 ERA. He's never beaten them in the season's first month, going 0-3 with 8.46 ERA in four starts.

Zito was tagged for six runs over five innings in his first start at Dodger Stadium last season, a 7-2 loss, but returned May 8 to allow one run over six innings in a 3-1 victory.

He'll face a Los Angeles team that's batting .312 this season, and the Dodgers (5-6) had at least 10 hits in six consecutive games before Saturday's loss.

The two-time defending division champs gave Clayton Kershaw (1-0, 4.50), Sunday's scheduled starter, six runs to help him to his first victory since July 18 in Tuesday's 9-5 win over Arizona.

The left-hander, however, was disappointed he couldn't get through the sixth inning after piling up 110 pitches.

"I didn't pitch very well, obviously," Kershaw told the Dodgers' website. "I'm happy we got the win, but I'd rather they win because of me, not in spite of me."

Kershaw was given two runs in his only career start against the Giants on April 15, 2009, and didn't get a decision despite allowing only Bengie Molina's solo homer over seven innings of a 5-4 win.

San Francisco will be without center fielder Aaron Rowand for a while after he is placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with two small fractures in his left cheek and a mild concussion. Rowand was after hit with a fastball by Dodgers right-hander Vicente Padilla in the fifth inning Friday.