This time of year, when your team is actually playing for something after several seasons of irrelevance, it's easy to sprinkle around "game of the year," "catch of the year," or as I did Friday night, "pitch of the year" (Affeldt's 3-2 pitch to Helton that induced an inning-ending double play grounder).
But after two kicks to the gut Saturday and Sunday that leave the Giants three games back in the wild card, I think we can try on another superlative: Tonight is Barry Zito's biggest start as a Giant.
I'm not putting the whole load on his shoulders; the hitters and fielders have to do their jobs, too, which they certainly didn't yesterday. But Zito needs to come out strong and give the team a fighting chance. No slugfests, no bullpen games tonight. The Giants can't handle it. It's a new phase of his Giant career; he's showing signs of being a solid pitcher again, but now he has to do it in the most hostile of circumstances -- and yes, tonight's game against a team looking for blood, in front of geeked-up fans, in the worst baseball stadium in the world is far more hostile than all the frustrated boos from Giants' fans that Zito has heard the past couple years.
Two back after tonight is still a decent position. A winning road trip in the dog days of August with the key deadline acquisition, Freddie Sanchez, on the shelf with a sore shoulder? I'll take it. After tonight, Colorado takes on L.A. at home then flies to S.F. for the weekend. The Giants have Arizona at home this week.
