Zito to return to Giants' rotation after brief bullpen stint
May 6, 2008
CBSSports.com wire reports
PITTSBURGH -- Barry Zito, demoted to the San Francisco Giants bullpen
last week, is returning to the starting rotation without having made
any relief appearances.
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Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Zito will start Wednesday's game in
Pittsburgh against the Pirates' Phil Dumatrait (0-1). Zito, who a year
ago signed a $126 million, seven-year contract, was sent to the
bullpen last week after compiling a 7.53 ERA while losing his first
six starts.
"Barry Zito's going to start. He's a starter," Bochy said Tuesday. "We
just gave him a break."
Zito was San Francisco's opening-day starter this season and became
only the third pitcher since 1956 to go 0-6 before May, joining Texas'
Dave Stewart (1984) and Detroit's Mike Maroth (2003). The 2002 AL Cy
Young Award winner with Oakland is a three-time All-Star.
Zito hasn't pitched since April 27, when he gave up eight runs and
seven hits in three innings during a 10-1 loss to the Reds.
"I think it was good to take a step back and get objective on some
things," Zito said. "I'm excited to get out there. I'm real excited to
go pitch to hitters and take those adjustments into the game. ... Now,
it's about me sticking with the game plan I know works, staying in
that mind-set I know that got me here."
Zito has thrown two extended bullpen sessions that were monitored by
pitching coach Dave Righetti. He also plans to adjust his approach by
being more aggressive early in the count. Zito said he was repeatedly
hurt earlier by not throwing early count pitches for strikes.
"If you're not in an aggressive mind-set, you're going to nitpick, and
that's what get guys in trouble, that's what got me in trouble," Zito
said. "For me, it's about being aggressive. You can definitely get
away with pitches early in the count that you can't late in the count.
Late in the count, you've got to be fine. That's when you walk guys
and you leave things over the middle."
Zito, who turns 30 on May 13, believes he worked out his problems
while throwing on the side despite not appearing in any games.
"I think you can achieve those things in the bullpen," he said. "You
put yourself in that frame of mind, you're not in game situations but
you still can achieve those things on the mound."
Bochy insisted he planned to pitch Zito once or twice out of the
bullpen and this wasn't a predetermined course designed to get Zito
off the mound for a while. The Giants currently need five starters,
Bochy said, and Zito was the obvious choice to go back into the
rotation.
Starting Zito on Wednesday allows Bochy to slot a left-hander, Pat
Misch (0-0), between right-handers Matt Cain (1-2) and Tim Lincecum
(4-1). Misch, who was to have started Wednesday, will start Friday
against the Phillies, with Lincecum going Saturday.
"Location, that's been his biggest issue really," Bochy said of Zito.
"He hasn't been locating pitches as well as he can. He's been great
about this, working, and he's ready. He's been anxious to come out of
the bullpen."
[for the rest of the article and news about Omar]
http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10815552
[Don't want Omar back either]
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