The San Francisco Giants are off to a pretty good start and figure to be a factor in the National League west all season. Through 14 games, the Giants looks as if they are exactly what everyone suspected they would be coming into the season: heavy on starting pitching and light in power. The Giants have gotten fantastic starting pitching from their top four, headed by the two time reigning NL Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum, who has given up just two earned runs in 20 innings pitched. In addition to Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez have all been very good for the club as they sit in a tie for first place in the NL West. The team is also expected to call up prized prospect Madison Bumgarner in the early summer to complete the 5 man starting rotation.
While the Giants pitching has been great, fans of the Giants have to be worried about their offense and whether they can continue to score runs at a high pace. 14 games into the season, no Giant has more than 2 homeruns, and only one player on the roster has hit more than 30 homeruns in a season, and that was Aubrey Huff who did it once in 2008 with 32. As the season moves on, it will be interesting to see if the Giants offense can provide enough support for their dominant starting rotation. If the Giants are able to add a bat at some point in the season, the Giants could be a very dangerous team in October.

by Josh Weiner at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Barry Zito is pitching a lot like his old self and the San Francisco Giants are finally backing him with plenty of runs. And they’re right back in the playoff chase.

Zito struck out a season-high nine in his biggest win yet as a Giant, Juan Uribe drove in three runs and San Francisco shaved another game off Colorado’s hold on the NL wild card with a 10-2 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday night.

“We’re just clicking right now,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Hopefully this is something we can continue and keep the momentum going. … We still have some ground to make up.”

San Francisco won its third straight after a four-game skid and pulled within 2½ games of the wild-card leading Rockies, who dropped their fourth straight following an eight-game winning streak.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

San Francisco Giants Sports Memorabilia
and other San Francisco Giants Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Barry Zito.

The fork in the road that Barry Zito frequently encounters during a ballgame rose to meet him relatively early Thursday afternoon.

Yunel Escobar led off the second inning with an improbable home run off the southpaw that grazed the right-field foul pole. It tied the score at 1 and, given the Braves’ dominance in this series, seemed to portend another Giants meltdown and a Zito defeat. Yet an entirely different scenario unfolded. Zito no-hit Atlanta from the third through sixth innings in a strong seven-inning effort and San Francisco scored four unearned eighth-inning runs to break the tie and vault to a much-needed 5-1 victory.

Click here to read the full article – By Chris Haft of MLB.com

San Francisco Giants Sports Memorabilia
and other San Francisco Giants Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Barry Zito.

Barry Zito’s record shows that his performance Tuesday night may have been an anomaly. Given the suddenly tenuous state of the Giants’ pitching, Zito’s effort also couldn’t have been more timely.

The decision not only lifted the Giants a season-high nine games over .500 (46-37), but also bolstered their confidence. Left-hander Randy Johnson’s strained throwing shoulder, which has sidelined him for an indefinite period, has transformed San Francisco’s starting rotation from formidable to vulnerable. Aside from All-Stars Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, the Giants’ front five includes Ryan Sadowski, whose big league career consists of two games, and Jonathan Sanchez, who has struggled consistently.

Click here to read the full article – By Chris Haft of MLB.com

San Francisco Giants Sports Memorabilia
and other San Francisco Giants Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Barry Zito.