Not much to say here. Giants win 6-4, Zito pitches 5 solid innings, giving up just 1 earned run, and then mysteriously gets yanked for a pinch hitter in the 5th, robbing him of the moment we all assumed was coming: Bochy waddling to the mound to make a change in the 6th, so that he may get a proper send off. Zito was visibly upset in the dugout. Sure, he got his handshakes and butt-pats from his teammates after the game, and even a brief cheer from the remaining crowd when Renell announced him as the winning pitcher.
In the post-game press conference, Bochy said that the line drive Zito tried to catch with his leg had no bearing on his decision to take him out, rather, he was managing to “win the game” and not for an ovation from the crowd. Bochy also noted that Zito hasn’t started in a while, so he was concerned about his stamina. Zito almost “talked him out of it.”
Personally, I don’t buy it. Bochy is a smart man. Zito was frustrated, so were the fans.
Regardless, the boys here at TortureCast tip our collective Bochy-sized cap to Zito. We hope he lands somewhere to continue his career.
The TortureCast 