Xavier Nady's homer spoils Barry Zito's return to Giants rotation as Pirates win 3-1
By ALAN ROBINSON | Associated Press | May 7, 08 9:03 PM CDT in
Sports
Xavier Nady hit a two-run homer to spoil Barry Zito's mostly effective return to the Giants rotation and Pittsburgh's Phil Dumatrait pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings for his first career win, leading the Pirates to a 3-1 victory Wednesday night.
Zito (0-7), roughed up in each of his first six starts, was far better after spending 10 days working out his problems in the bullpen, yet couldn't beat a pitcher who hadn't won in 17 previous career appearances.
Zito, at least temporarily the most expensive reliever in the majors only two seasons into his $126 million, seven-year contract, started with three scoreless innings. Then Jason Bay singled and Nady hit the first pitch he saw in the fourth into the left-field seats. Nady's fifth homer gave him the NL lead with 34 RBIs, four in the first two games of the three-game series.
Zito's pitching line of five innings, three hits, two runs, two walks and five strikeouts was easily his best of the season. His last time out his line read: eight runs and seven hits allowed in three innings. He was moved into the bullpen after that but never pitched in relief and, essentially, was skipped over for a start in an attempt to get him untracked.
Despite Zito's encouraging start _ he didn't fall behind in the count nearly as much as before and repeatedly had the Pirates out in front of pitches _ he is the first Giants pitcher to lose his first seven decisions since reliever Rod Beck was 0-9 in 1996.
Dumatrait (1-1), whose 0-5 career record coming in nearly matched Zito's season record, finally won eight years after being the Red Sox's first-round draft pick in 2000.
He struck out five, walked one and allowed five hits before leaving with a runner on second and two out in the sixth. Dumatrait has given up one run over 9 2-3 innings in two starts since replacing the released Matt Morris in the Pirates' rotation.
Tyler Yates came on to get the next four outs before Damaso Marte struck out the side during a scoreless eighth inning. Matt Capps couldn't complete the shutout, giving up Bengie Molina's RBI single in the ninth before getting his seventh save in as many opportunities.
The Pirates won consecutive games for the first times since April 22-23 and have won 12 of 14 from the Giants. Pittsburgh had lost 13 of 18 overall before the series began.
Only the third starting pitcher since 1956 to go 0-6 before May, Zito had not previously pitched in a game this season in which the opposition didn't score at least four runs.
Notes:@ Pittsburgh's Nate McLouth went 1-for-3 with a triple after homering twice in each of his previous two home games and hitting five in his previous three at home. ... McLouth, normally the Pirates' leadoff hitter, batted third for the third time this season. On Tuesday, he hit second for the first time. ... The Giants have lost four of five on a road trip to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh that ends Thursday.
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